Your Right to Vote - Is it a choice or an obligation?

Dexter Sinister

Unspecified Specialist
Oct 1, 2004
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Regina, SK
A ballot is counted if it's clear on it who the voter intended to vote for, doesn't have to be an X or a check mark or anything else in particular, you can put an asterisk or write OK or YES or whatever you want in the little circle by the candidate's name, including filling it in with a pen or pencil. As long as only one candidate is indicated, and there are no marks on it that could identify the voter, it's a valid ballot. Otherwise it's rejected as not valid. I've been a scrutineer at a polling station and I'll be doing it again tonight, scrutinizing the count, and those are the rules I was given when I took the oath this morning. .

And BTW, regarding the OP I think Nick has it right.
 

Mowich

Hall of Fame Member
Dec 25, 2005
16,649
998
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Eagle Creek
Did you all have to bring your IDs to get a ballot?

Yes, I just used my driver's license as it has both my name and my address on it. I also had my voter card with me - done and dusted in about 3 minutes - mind you it took a half hour just to drive to the polling station.
 

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
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USA
In our case, we are sent a letter that we can use along with a couple pieces of identification to get a ballot to vote with. Sounds like a similar system.

Doesn't that disenfranchise the poor and elderly? Isn't that vote suppression for minorities?

Yes, I just used my driver's license as it has both my name and my address on it. I also had my voter card with me - done and dusted in about 3 minutes - mind you it took a half hour just to drive to the polling station.

Man... Canada is so right wing extreme. Canadian Liberals are more right wing than Republicans. :)
 

PoliticalNick

The Troll Bashing Troll
Mar 8, 2011
7,940
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Edson, AB
Australia has mandatory voting, as well as many other countries.. Maybe we need to do the same here in Canada.

Absolutely not! The idea of being forced to cast a ballot for someone I don't want is disgusting and flies in the face of a free democracy.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
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Vernon, B.C.
Doesn't that disenfranchise the poor and elderly? Isn't that vote suppression for minorities?



Man... Canada is so right wing extreme. Canadian Liberals are more right wing than Republicans. :)

Voting took me all of three minutes this morning, there was one woman in front of me and I had my voting card, a gas bill statement and my driver's license ready and went right through. That was at 10:05 AM. I put two and two together and figured there'd be three bottle necks- people voting on their way to work, people voting on their lunch break and people voting on their way home from work. The rest of the time would just see us old codgers shuffling through. E.S. What constitutes "right wing"? I only see two alternatives- you can vote for something that will work or you can vote for something that will fail.
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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Doesn't that disenfranchise the poor and elderly? Isn't that vote suppression for minorities?

Man... Canada is so right wing extreme. Canadian Liberals are more right wing than Republicans. :)
hahaha

Australia has mandatory voting, as well as many other countries.. Maybe we need to do the same here in Canada.
I don't need to be nannied into voting, thanks. I am perfectly content with voting on my own free will.
 

PoliticalNick

The Troll Bashing Troll
Mar 8, 2011
7,940
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Edson, AB
Doesn't that disenfranchise the poor and elderly? Isn't that vote suppression for minorities?



Man... Canada is so right wing extreme. Canadian Liberals are more right wing than Republicans. :)

I know! It's terrible how we treat our people. I mean just look at this crappy place in the projects. Can you believe we force single moms with a couple of kids to like in this low class housing.
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
17,507
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I know! It's terrible how we treat our people. I mean just look at this crappy place in the projects. Can you believe we force single moms with a couple of kids to like in this low class housing.
Roof trusses OUTSIDE the eaves? And only under two peaks? Half brick and half siding? One single domed window amongst rectangular windows? Shabby.
 

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
96
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USA
Voting took me all of three minutes this morning, there was one woman in front of me and I had my voting card, a gas bill statement and my driver's license ready and went right through. That was at 10:05 AM. I put two and two together and figured there'd be three bottle necks- people voting on their way to work, people voting on their lunch break and people voting on their way home from work. The rest of the time would just see us old codgers shuffling through.

This is where... if I was a US liberal... would start making fun of your age and skin color.

If you don't know the back ground of what I was getting at. We in the US do not have a voter ID law. Voter ID Laws disenfranchise the poor and the elderly. Anyone who supports a Voter ID Law is most likely a bigot and a racist and hates old people. Any country with a Voter ID Law is a far more racist and discriminatory country than a Progressive Liberal country like my own.
 

PoliticalNick

The Troll Bashing Troll
Mar 8, 2011
7,940
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Edson, AB
This is where... if I was a US liberal... would start making fun of your age and skin color.

If you don't know the back ground of what I was getting at. We in the US do not have a voter ID law. Voter ID Laws disenfranchise the poor and the elderly. Anyone who supports a Voter ID Law is most likely a bigot and a racist and hates old people. Any country with a Voter ID Law is a far more racist and discriminatory country than a Progressive Liberal country like my own.

From what I understand you don't even need a pulse to vote in the US
 

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
96
48
USA
I know! It's terrible how we treat our people. I mean just look at this crappy place in the projects. Can you believe we force single moms with a couple of kids to like in this low class housing.

I am sorry you live in a racist country that requires voters to have IDs.


This is where ours live...



From what I understand you don't even need a pulse to vote in the US

That is true... dead people still vote and they have for decades.

Yet your require your people to have IDs to vote which is such a racist law. No wonder your liberal parties would be considered right of the Republicans.