You can vote anywhere you want

quizzical wrote:

who sounds like an easy case for frauding ballots. is this how Harper is going to win?

Huh? Harper? What does Harper have anyhting to do with this?

No matter where you vote, you vote for your riding as long as you're registered to vote. It's that simple.

I assume this has been always the case and nobody knew anyhting about it. That's why I wanted to share it here.

Mr. Magoo wrote:

Quote:

I just want to inform some of us who don't know that they can vote with a special ballot any time they want.

Quote:

Yes. This is good info. It seems that you can vote until October 13 which is great.

No need to apologize for, or even acknowledge, your robo-call.

Quote:

As for the application, there is no application at all. You just go to a Elections Canada office and tell them you want to vote with a special ballot. You'll be done in 2 minutes.

You seem to know all about this.

 

Mr. Magoo.

I don't understand what are you trying to tell. Are you trying to make fun of me? 

I just shared my experience here. You quote my words and say "you know all about this".

What is your problem? Say it clearly and we can all learn what you are saying.

Mr. Magoo wrote:

I'm saying that if you didn't know that you cannot vote outside your riding after Oct. 13 then maybe you're not the person to assure us all that you don't need to apply to do so.

If you actually observed what you say you observed then it was in contravention of Elections Canada's own rules.  Don't tell babblers to to the same; tell Elections Canada what you witnessed.

Mr. Magoo.

The title of this post is "You can vote anywhere you want". And you can. Because I did. Because my friends did. Because 3 Elections Canada office said so. Because it's legal. Because it's convenient for people who could be away in Ocotber 19.

The deadline for special ballot is October 13 and this is great. This means people have lots of days to vote until October 13. 

Anybody who goes to nearest Elections Canada office can vote. What is the problem here? If you don't believe me, go to your Elections Canada office and try to do same. if it doesn't work, then let us know. 

Why did you put the word robo-call into your post? What do you mean? 

I'm asking you again: What did you mean by writing "robo-call"?

Mr. Magoo wrote:

[From Elections Canada's website:

Quote:

Important information on voting by special ballot

• Any eligible voter may apply to vote by special ballot, as long as Elections Canada gets their application by the deadline: 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13.
• Once your application to vote by special ballot has been accepted, this is the only way you can vote. You cannot vote at the advance or election day polls, or apply for another special ballot.
• You may vote only once during an election.

It would appear that one has to apply to do this, not just show up at some polling station wherever.  So that would be the time limit.

Yes. This is good info. It seems that you can vote until October 13 which is great. Why wait until the 19th.

As for the application, there is no application at all. You just fill out a simple form. Go to a Elections Canada office and tell them you want to vote with a special ballot. You'll be done in 2 minutes. 

Why don't you try it on Monday?

Robo wrote:

quizzical wrote:

oh really. i worked the last election at the polls and never heard a word about this in our education session.

(1) When you worked as Staff in the polls on Election Day, you would have seen the names of various people on the list of voters already "crossed off" as having voted.  Most of them would have voted at an Advance Polling Station within the riding prior to Election Day.  Some of them would have voted by "Special Ballot" as described above.  As Election Day staff, all you need to know is which people still have the right to vote on Eletion Day. 

Why would they train you about Special Ballots?  There is enough stuff you need to know about what is supposed to go on on Election Day that they don't need to toss in details that have no relevance to you on Election Day.

(2) There is no particular reason to go to the next riding over to vote in your own riding.  But anyone can go into the Returning Office in their own riding today or any day up to October 13 (or in any other riding) to vote by Special Ballot.  The key difference with Special Ballots is that there is no "pre-printed ballot" on which you mark as X (because they cannot print ballots until nominations close, which is Sept 28th).  You will get a blank piece of paper and will have to write out the name of your NDP candidate on that piece of paper,

The point is you should vote early, because a vote cast on Election Day counts no more than a vote cast in advance of Election Day.    

Robo.

Thank you so much for the info you provided. 

I shared my experience with special ballot option because I thought there would be some people here at Babble who might want to vote before the advance polls or the actual voting day.

While I was voting, I talked to the people in Elections Canada office about the low turnout rate in the elections. in my opinion, these additional options are great ways of increasing the participation rate. 

Mr. Magoo.

You're a coward. You don't have the courage to respond to my last post. You blamed me for doing something I didn't do or imply. You didn't know know a thing about the special ballot and all you did was to blame somebody who wanted share his experience.

In just simple three words: Shame on you.

Mr. Magoo wrote:

Here's what Elections Canada has to say about voting by special ballot.

Quote:

General principles

To vote under the Special Voting Rules, electors other than Canadian Forces electors must:

• register to vote by special ballot no later than 6:00 p.m. on the 6th day before election day
• obtain the names of the candidates in his or her electoral district (the elector writes the name of the chosen candidate on the special ballot, not the political party)
• in the case of an elector away from the electoral district of his or her ordinary residence, ensure that the completed ballot arrives at Elections Canada in Ottawa, no later than 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on election day
• in the case of an elector who is casting a ballot in his or her electoral district, ensure that the returning officer for that electoral district receives the completed ballot before the close of the polls in the electoral district on election day

Once an elector's application to vote by special ballot is approved, that is the only way he or she can vote. The elector cannot vote at the ordinary or advance polls. The only exception is that Canadian Forces electors may choose to vote in person at a civilian polling station, if they are living in the same electoral district as the address shown on their Statement of Ordinary Residence. They may do so only if they have not already voted under the Special Voting Rules. For further details, consult the backgrounder Voting in By-elections by Canadian Forces Electors (EC 90755).

Elections Canada draws up the lists of electors registered to vote by special ballot in each electoral district, and sends them to the returning officers before the advance polls and again before election day. These lists include the surname, given name, civic address and mailing address of electors who have applied to vote by special ballot. The returning officers indicate on the list of electors that these electors have registered to vote by special ballot, to prevent them from voting twice.

An elector who votes under the Special Voting Rules uses a special ballot voting kit that includes:

• a blank ballot on which the elector writes the name of the candidate of his or her choice
• an unmarked inner envelope
• an outer envelope identifying the elector and his or her electoral district, and a declaration that the elector must sign and date, stating that his or her name is as shown on the envelope and that he or she has not already voted and will not attempt to vote again in the current by-election
• a return envelope
• an instruction flyer

An elector may vote only once at a by-election, and only for a candidate running in his or her electoral district.

Categories of Electors and Manner of Voting by Special Ballot 1. Canadian electors temporarily away from their electoral districts (but who have a place of ordinary residence in Canada – for example, travellers or snowbirds)

Canadians who will be 18 years of age or older on election day and who live in an electoral district where a by-election is being held, but who expect to be absent from their electoral districts, either in Canada or abroad, may vote by special ballot.

Registration

An elector must register as soon as possible after a by-election has been called in his or her electoral district by sending Elections Canada an Application for Registration and Special Ballot form. This form may be requested in person, by mail, by telephone or by fax from any office of the returning officer where a by-election is being held or from Elections Canada in Ottawa. It can also be downloaded from the Elections Canada website. In addition, the form is available at Canadian embassies, high commissions or consular offices.

To exercise the right to vote during the by-election, the elector's completed application must be received by Elections Canada in Ottawa no later than 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the 6th day before election day. The application may be sent by fax.

The stuff in there about applications, and deadlines, seemed to be missing from your post, so I kind of understandably wondered if maybe you were misinforming babblers.

And I'll say again, that if your friend managed to vote by special ballot without having to apply to do so as per Elections Canada's rules above, perhaps what you witnessed was not so much an easy and convenient way to vote anywhere, anytime as a violation of EC's own rules by its own people.

 

Mr. Magoo.

You still try to muddy the water.

What I wrote is this:

1- Anybody can go to a nearest Elections Canada office

2- Anybody can vote in any Elections Canada office with a special ballot

3- You just fill out a form and cast your vote.

It's that simple. The only thing that is different is that "One needs to know the name of the candidate in his/her riding" because you have to write the name of the candidate.

1- I voted with a special ballot in Guelph (My riding is Guelph)

2- My friend voted a special ballot in Guelph (His riding is in Toronto / (Beaches - East York)

3- My friends voted in an Elections Canada office in Eglinton & Lawrence (Their riding is Scarborough - Agincourt).

While I was talking to people in Elections Canada office in Guelph, they told me to encourage my friends to cast their vote as early as possible since this is a good opportunity for anybody who may not find the time or who could be away on the election day.

The interesting thing is that it was them who asked my friend if he wanted to vote in Guelph for his riding in Toronto. This is how we learned that anybody could vote in an Elections Canada office even though they may be far away from their riding.

This is exactly what I wrote in my post. 

English is my second language, but I think I was very clear in explaining my experience with special ballot. Please explain us which words you don't understand and I'll try to write simpler.

Plus, you said something incredibly horrible:

"No need to apologize for, or even acknowledge, your robo-call"

This is accusing somebody for a criminal activity. How on earth can you accuse me for this kind of crime? Where does this "Robo-Call" come from? 

Can you please explain it to Babblers so that we can all learn what you intended to say if this was not your intention? After all, it was you who said you don't want Babblers to be misinformed. 

I believe everybody who read this thread needs an explanation from you about your "Robo-Call" accusation. 

Mr. Magoo wrote:

Quote:

This is accusing somebody for a criminal activity. How on earth can you accuse me for this kind of crime? Where does this "Robo-Call" come from?

Very well then.  I'll retract.  Let me know if you'd prefer that I edit my original post, or leave it so the rest makes sense.

I think your accusation post should stay as an example of how not to write something like it again.

Thanks.

Thanks, Catchfire.

Misfit wrote:

The Elections Canada staff swarmed me like the vultures from the Island of Nabumbu seeking out early voters to keep themselves busy.

Great description.