Opinion: Long ballot protest is political theatre that hurts legitimate candidates
When voters in Battle River-Crowfoot head to the polls in August, they won't be handed a traditional ballot. Instead, they'll be given a blank one and will be asked to write in the name of their preferred candidate.
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Why? Because a co-ordinated campaign masquerading as a political protest flooded the ballot with so many names that Elections Canada had to pivot from its traditional format.
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What may have started as a symbolic protest has evolved into something else entirely, something that undermines the very process through which Canadians choose who governs them. That's not harmless activism. It's destructive to our democratic processes.
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This isn't just about a few votes being split between fringe candidates. It's about creating confusion and obstacles on election day.
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Instead of the usual straightforward processes, voters will now have to search through a list of hundreds of names and write one down correctly. While Elections Canada says it will accept ballots as long as 'the elector's intention is clear,' that's a vague standard in a process that's supposed to be simple. And you can bet candidates' scrutineers will be closely watching and challenging any mistakes.
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The challenges don't stop there. Accessibility has also taken a major hit due to these efforts. Yes, visually impaired voters can request a braille template and voting aids, but the catch is they will only be available on election day, not for advanced polls. This 'protest,' which seemingly exists to make a point about our electoral system, has ended up making it harder for some people to vote at all.
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Who benefits from this? Certainly not the independent candidates running serious campaigns to try and get elected in the riding. Their names will be buried by others, very likely masked as just another independent participating in this demonstration. Voters will forget them, misspell them, or skip them altogether. Only the candidates with real name recognition, usually from major parties, will stand out.
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Elections Canada is doing its best under tough circumstances. But let's be honest, our system failed to prevent this kind of interference. These aren't serious candidates. They aren't trying to represent Battle River-Crowfoot or strengthen our democratic institutions.
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