Ottawa, Ontario February 1, 2024
MEDIA RELEASE
ELECTION RIGGING?
With Justin Trudeau and the Liberals badly trailing Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives in poll after poll, one is puzzled by Trudeau’s apparent smugness about his Party’s sinking popularity among voters. Does Trudeau have a reason to be smug?
The answer to this question is apparently “Yes”.
The Liberals and the NDP have been in secret negotiations regarding electoral reform. According to a report from CTV News, the proposals being negotiated are focused on changes to the Canada Elections Act under the guise of furthering “the ability for people to vote.” According to NDP negotiator MP Daniel Blaikie, “I think people on both sides are keen to try to hammer out those final details and have a product that can be tabled in the House of Commons… He further stated “the working expectation is that the trio of reforms would be contained in one bill that could be passed in time for the next election”.
Three specific changes have been mentioned:
- An “expanded” three-day voting period during general elections
- Permitting voters to cast their ballots at any polling station within their riding and
- Improved mail-in ballot procedures
Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Parliamentary Affairs, representing the Liberal Party, and NDP MP Daniel Blaikie are discussing “access to voting” by making “voting more accessible”. They are not prioritizing election integrity and security. This is the reason for alarm.
What is being suggested sets the stage for voter fraud and rigged elections as follows:
Expanded Election Day Voting Period
Why extend the election day to three days? Canadian voters already enjoy a period of “advance polling” where they have an opportunity to cast their ballots. An extended voting day period would allow parties to measure voter turnout and have an opportunity to “get the vote out” for their party if required.
Expanded Voting Locations
Allowing voters to cast their ballots at any polling station within their riding is an open invitation for voter fraud. At present, if one tries to vote twice at the same polling station using different ID on each occasion, there is a risk of being recognised by a polling official or scrutineer. Expanded voting locations plus an expanded election day period allows fraud to be spread out, or at least making it more convenient.
Mail-in-Ballots
Mail-in ballots can have a pernicious effect on the integrity of the election process. A mail-in-ballot, more properly called a “special ballot” in Canada, refers to a ballot that an individual requests be mailed to them and then subsequently returns by post to Elections Canada, or to a “drop off” at an Elections Canada office. The proposed change in the Elections Act allows for the spectre of “ballot harvesting”—a process which allows third parties to collect and deliver ballots. In either case, ballots mailed or dropped off require no further authentication.
Elections Canada, with the role it plays policing the electoral system has previously experienced a number of violations. Some were administrative and technical in nature, others were not.
It is a further concern that the current Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, established in September of 2023, will not report until the end of 2024. It is premature to amend the Canada Elections Act in the absence of any findings or recommendations that the Report might make.
No Landslide Vote Required
Trudeau doesn’t need to rig the system in a manner that results in a spectacular landslide. Given his and his party’s polling numbers, a Liberal landslide would look too suspicious. However, rigging the election just enough to ensure another minority government would be more believable outcome. The Liberals could claim that a minority government resulted in voters’ concerns about Poilievre’s supposed similarity to Trump.
The sole basis of any government’s legitimacy is the consent of the governed. Fairness and “voter access” have no meaning in the absence of integrity and verifiability of elections.
The present leaked talks of “election reform” between the Liberals and NDP unfortunately appear to have nothing to do with verifiable trusted results. It has more to do with the continuation of the Liberal/NDP confidence and supply agreement subsequent to the 2025 federal election.
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For further information contact:
Pauline Guzik
National President
REAL Women of Canada
Cathy Smith
Western Canada Board Member
REAL Women of Canada
Email: info@realwomenofcanada.ca
Web: www.realwomenofcanada.ca