Elections Canada has one job 鈥� to conduct federal elections. It is not too much to expect that those elections will be conducted efficiently, properly and at reasonable convenience to the voters.
Those expectations were not met during advance polling over the weekend as many voters in the capital region endured long waiting times and confusion. Some left in frustration without voting. Similar problems were reported at polling stations across the country.
Voting is the fundamental function of democracy. Anything that interferes with the right to vote 鈥� and making a 90-year-old wait in line for more than an hour is doing that 鈥� is an attack on democracy and must be taken with the utmost seriousness.
Election officials were caught off guard when larger-than-expected numbers of voters turned out for the first day of early voting Friday 鈥� 26 per cent more than the first day of advance polls in the 2011 election and a 90 per cent increase from the first day of advance polls in 2008.
Still, an agency devoted to one task should be prepared for a variety of scenarios. It should come as no surprise, for instance, that a significant percentage of early voters would be senior citizens for whom standing in long lines would be a hardship.
Times 91原创 readers who expressed frustration at the voting process noted what they believed to be an inefficient, awkward process for checking voter ID during advance voting. Others have reported incorrect information on voter information cards. Voting locations have changed, and some voters have found they must drive kilometres to vote, when in the past, they could walk.
Following the 2011 election, which was marred by numerous administrative errors and irregularities, Harry Neufeld, former chief electoral officer for B.C., was commissioned by Elections Canada to conduct a review. Neufeld found that, on average, 500 serious administrative errors were made per electoral district across the country on election day.
In making recommendations for improving the process, Neufeld admitted there probably was not enough time to do a complete overhaul of the voting process before the 2015 election, but surely, there would have been opportunity for noticeable improvements.
It鈥檚 not as if the election came as a surprise 鈥� the law requiring a fixed election date has been in effect since 2007.
The Harper government made an eight per cent cut to Elections Canada鈥檚 funding in the 2013 budget. If the early-voting problems are a result of the government鈥檚 stinginess, that funding should be restored. Those working at polling stations should be adequately trained, and supervisors should be well versed in procedures and regulations to ensure all goes smoothly.
Granted, people in countries where democracy is struggling brave gunfire, dangerous journeys and intimidation in their zeal to have their say in their government. We should count ourselves lucky to encounter mere inconvenience.
But Canada is a wealthy, stable country, with all the modern amenities. The voting process should not be difficult, awkward or confusing. We can and should do better.
It should not be thought that all polling stations were scenes of chaos through the weekend. In many cases, voting went smoothly and those staffing the stations were professional and helpful. And voters can ease the process by ensuring their information is up to date on voters鈥� lists.
It could be that the problems encountered on the weekend were anomalies and things will go much more smoothly on election day.
If they don鈥檛, heads should roll. Volunteers organizing a neighbourhood bake sale or a community celebration can be forgiven for being a little disorganized. Elections Canada is a professional entity dedicated to one task. It has a responsibility to ensure we can exercise our right to vote.
