A few hours before Sunday’s late announcement from Washington DC that Osama bin Laden had been killed by the U.S. military, when this extraordinary Canadian election was still the lead story in the Canadian corporate media, the CBC published this doozy of a development:

“Elections Canada is warning voters not to trust anyone but the agency itself [ie. Elections Canada] about where they should vote on Monday after reports that some voters are being told to go to the wrong polling stations — some up to an hour away from their homes.”

The full story can be read here.

Apparently, many voters around the country — with emphasis in Ontario — have been receiving calls from automated services telling them to cast votes at polling stations in other constituencies, or are being told that their own voting locations have been changed. Other places mentioned include Manitoba and Nova Scotia. More locations will likely emerge. There appears to be a pattern of behaviour in this, dare we say a policy or conspiracy?

On Saturday, April 30, the calls to Elections Canada from confused members of the public started, asking why voting locations have been changed. The comments under the posted story have brought up other examples of this disturbing development.

This should be the lead story across the country tonight, with as big a potential for disturbing the electorate as the “hanging chad” fiasco in Florida in 2000. Unfortunately, it is not.

Who is doing this? There are theories of course, but an investigation is needed.

Elections Canada has not yet said whether they will investigate. We at rabble.ca urge them to do so. Enough anti-democratic tendencies have been on display during this election campaign. The public have responded in extraordinary ways, ways that seem likely to make a major change in the political landscape of Canada in the NDP’s favour — not to mention to deny Prime Minister Stephen Harper the majority he demanded early on in the campaign.

The voters appear to be saying no to negativity and fear mongering, attacks, incorrect information, bad faith, and, most importantly, they are saying no to the path this country has been on since 2006.

The latest EKOS poll on May 1 had the voter breakdown as: CPC 34.8 per cent, NDP 32.4 per cent, LPC 20.4 per cent, GRN 5.6 per cent, BQ 5.7 per cent, OTH 1.2 per cent.

It is possible Monday’s election could cost Harper his job as Conservative leader. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff’s career, if the poll casting the Liberals at 20.4 percent is true, is even more at risk. Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe may also be in trouble. 

So… rabble.ca urges voters to use Elections Canada as the main source of poll locations. And we urge you to cast your vote today, May 2nd.

Feel free to add below any examples of the apparent fraudulent behaviour. This is a scandalous development, it should not neglected because of what has happened in Pakistan.

Canadians care for progressive, independent voices. Here is how we at rabble know this — on the last day of the campaign, Sunday, May 1, rabble.ca got over 17,500 visits from our readers — long-time supporters and, hopefully, new ones. Thank you from all of us.

And have a good election day from all of us at rabble.ca! Get out the vote!