44th Canadian Federal Election

[Northern Light]

In Toronto Centre, the densest riding in Canada, and one of the lowest-income ridings, the number of poll locations was reduced by 84% this year. My polling place (election day and advance poll) was at the Marriott Hotel on Bay Street, across the street from Spadina-Fort York and from University-Rosedale. It was a really poorly placed poll location, though it had the space Elections Canada wanted.

Kevin Vuong is still leading Spadina-Fort York, but I suspect Norm Di Pasquale will win once those lines tonight close and their ballots counted.

The bolded is simply insane.............EC officials should be called on the carpet.

Set up tents in parks, or Dundas Square or use extraordinary federal power to co-opt other spaces......

 

[ShonTron]

The bolded is simply insane.............EC officials should be called on the carpet.

Set up tents in parks, or Dundas Square or use extraordinary federal power to co-opt other spaces......

They should have used the Moss Park Armoury! What's the point of having that gigantic bunker here otherwise? It offers nothing to the community.

 

[Richard White]

They should have used the Moss Park Armoury! What's the point of having that gigantic bunker here otherwise? It offers nothing to the community.

It may be because it is a National Defence facility. They likely don't want the average joe in earshot of military technology.

National Security exemptions get you a long way.

 

[Richard White]

The bolded is simply insane.............EC officials should be called on the carpet.

Set up tents in parks, or Dundas Square or use extraordinary federal power to co-opt other spaces......

I'm surprised places like The National Trade Centre, The Coliseum, Air Canada Centre and Skydome weren't used as large scale polling stations.

 

[Admiral Beez]

They should have used the Moss Park Armoury! What's the point of having that gigantic bunker here otherwise? It offers nothing to the community.

It's a national defence marshaling point, it's not supposed to offer anything to the community.

 

[lenaitch]

They should have used the Moss Park Armoury! What's the point of having that gigantic bunker here otherwise? It offers nothing to the community.

While I doubt an armoury would contain much that would be particularly sensitive or crucial to national security, and anything that needs to be secured is already routinely locked up, knowing the speed of federal bureaucratic decision-making, they probably wouldn't have time to negotiate acceptable work-arounds to the various access regulations governing defence establishments. It's not a community centre.

 

[W. K. Lis]

It's a national defence marshaling point, it's not supposed to offer anything to the community.

The New Fort York grounds and military reserve (today Exhibition Place) was used for the Toronto Industrial Exhibition (today Canadian National Exhibition) was used for civic functions for just such purposes, because it was available.

From link.

 

[MisterF]

If only we had the option of advance voting or mail in ballots …..

This doesn't change the fact that most people choose to vote in person on election day. The system needs to handle that. If voters aren't using the other options in large numbers, it's not the voters that are the problem.

Apparently the key problem was that polls were not allowed in condominium tower lobbies as a pandemic precaution, so they had to consolidate all of those (about a dozen) into the only space left they could find down there. Clearly there needs to be better options in this area if we have to do this with restrictions again.

Maybe they couldn't be in lobbies but polls were allowed in condo buildings. The one in my building was in the party room, with the line in the corridor with no room for distancing for people walking by.

 

[PinkLucy]

This doesn't change the fact that most people choose to vote in person on election day. The system needs to handle that. If voters aren't using the other options in large numbers, it's not the voters that are the problem.

Advance voting was up, so many people did choose that. I choose voting day knowing there could be lines. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. The same people who whine the loudest have probably waited just as long or longer at Costco or for a new video game system, without the option to be provided time off

yes, there should have been more polling stations. Was this an extraordinary circumstance? Yes.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Advance voting was up, so many people did choose that. I choose voting day knowing there could be lines. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. The same people who whine the loudest have probably waited just as long or longer at Costco or for a new video game system, without the option to be provided time off

yes, there should have been more polling stations. Was this an extraordinary circumstance? Yes.

It shouldn't be so bad as to having lineups past the closing time - but having to line up to vote really is a small price to pay for exercising democratic rights.

AoD

 

[Lennox970]

When all is said and done with this election, two things stand out for me:

1. Thankfully no more revelations about Trudeau , turned us into an international laughing stock in 2019.

2. Hugely impressed with the Liberal Party election machine. Love them or hate them, the Liberals are damn good at what they do.

 

[Jonny5]

Maybe they couldn't be in lobbies but polls were allowed in condo buildings. The one in my building was in the party room, with the line in the corridor with no room for distancing for people walking by.

Sounds like then it wasn't banned but it was a condo board issue where most buildings decided to allow it which had in the past.
Maybe the residents of those buildings should ask the board why not.

 

[Richard White]

Sounds like then it wasn't banned but it was a condo board issue where most buildings decided not to allow it that had in the past.
Maybe the residents of those buildings should ask the board why not.

I work in a condominium management office and prior to that I was doing Condo Security.

It likely has to do with Covid. Boards don't want to take liability if there is an outbreak at a polling station.

 

[vic]

When all is said and done with this election, two things stand out for me:

1. Thankfully no more revelations about Trudeau , turned us into an international laughing stock in 2019.

They called the election before Halloween for a very good reason.

 

[MisterF]

Advance voting was up, so many people did choose that. I choose voting day knowing there could be lines. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. The same people who whine the loudest have probably waited just as long or longer at Costco or for a new video game system, without the option to be provided time off

yes, there should have been more polling stations. Was this an extraordinary circumstance? Yes.

Voting should never be comparable to lining up to be the first to buy a PS5.

Even in normal circumstances, if we had a day off for an election (or held them on a weekend) the crowds would be better distributed throughout the day, it would be easier to hire poll workers, and voter turnout would improve. I just don't see the downside.

While I'm not in favour of mandatory voting, Australia makes it much easier to vote. Elections are on Saturdays, you can vote at any polling station, and they turn it into a big party complete with "democracy sausages". Even without making voting mandatory we could adopt some of those practices.