The advance polls are already open and people are attempting to navigate the new elections regulations.  There have been instances of voter supression in the past in Canadian elections, and with the new regulations there will be more Canadians who will be denied the right the vote. Know the new rules and make sure you have the identification necessary to vote.

If your right, or the right of anyone you know, to vote is interferred with in any way, the first thing to do is to file a complaint with Elections Canada using their complaints process.   This should be done in a timely manner, as soon after you witness the incident as possible.

The Council of Canadians has also launched VoteWatch, a service to report voter suppression Canadians may experience or witness.  Vote Watch should not replace the official Elections Canada complaint process.  However, changes brought in by the Fair Elections Act, curtail Election’s Canada’s ability to notify the public in the event of widespread and orchestrated campaigns of voter suppression. A 2014 study found a majority of Canadians worry about the potential for fraud in this election. Polling indicates Canadians are more concerned about the 2011 robocalls scandal and a potential repeat in 2015 than either the Duffy or sponsorship scandals. So let’s make sure that we stand up for the right to vote.