Elections Canada girding itself for longest ballot
Faced with a record 91-candidate ballot in the LaSalle‑Émard‑Verdun byelection, Elections Canada is trying to figure out a legal way to avoid delays in counting in the September 16 vote. But one expert says there’s a limit to what they can do, as all ballots have to be checked to make sure they haven’t been spoiled with multiple markings.
The expert also says that the Longest Ballot Committee is only creating obstacles for Elections Canada and that it won’t hasten electoral reform.
Steve Faguy posted a sample ballot to X to give an idea what this monster ballot may look like.
bob 13:14 on 2024-09-03 Permalink
Is it just me or are protests getting dumber every year? Throwing soup, gluing hands to pavement – it kind of defeats your purpose when the public gets annoyed with you and not the ostensible object of the protest.
Nicholas 18:40 on 2024-09-03 Permalink
bob, I think this is silly too, but protests always cause annoyance to the public: that’s the point! Casseroles are annoying, marches (which block traffic) are annoying, strikes are annoying, work to rule is annoying. The point is to wake people out of their slumber and draw attention to an issue. The methods you mention are often done because something splashy will draw way more attention than a march with 10 people (and it’s easier to keep organizing). If you have broad support you can get tens or hundreds of thousands out in the streets, but you also can’t keep it up, usually.
An interesting point is that at the time, MLK Jr. was really unpopular. One 1964 Gallup survey found he was the second least respected American, and half of White people though he was doing more harm than good for civil rights. People really like order, normalcy, calm. As evidenced.
SMD 19:37 on 2024-09-03 Permalink
“When a wise man points at the moon, the imbecile examines the finger” ― Confucius
Ian 07:40 on 2024-09-04 Permalink
I think maybe we should be happy that there are more symbolic forms of protest like these currently being embraced. More immediate actions can be remarkably unpleasant for all those involved. Let’s not forget this is the city where we burned down the Parliament in a riot.
CE 09:53 on 2024-09-04 Permalink
The fact that people are annoyed and talking about the issue means this protest has been successful in its first goal. Whether it results in any change will determine if it has been successful in total but this is the first step. Trudeau breaking his promise to bring in electoral reform really took the wind out of the sails of the movement for quite a few years and I’m glad to see it’s back in the conversation again.
Ian 23:03 on 2024-09-04 Permalink
Electoral reform was on the list of Liberal promises that didn’t come through – despite saying it would to the NDP as a condition of their support. One thing to lie to the public, but your crucial political allies? That’s not very strategic.