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Difference between revisions of "The Right to Vote (5:VII)"

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(Created page with "{{LSLAP Manual TOC|expanded = complaints}} == A. Introduction == The right to participate in the selection of their elected representatives is a basic right enjoyed by the c...")
 
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=== 1. Legislation ===
=== 1. Legislation ===


''Canada Elections Act'', RSC 2000, c 9 Election Act, RSBC 1996, c 106  
''Canada Elections Act'', RSC 2000, c 9  
 
''Election Act'', RSBC 1996, c 106  
 
''Local Government Act'', RSBC 1996, c 323
 
''Vancouver Charter'', SBC 1953, c 55
 
=== 2. Resources ===
 
[http://www.elections.bc.ca Elections British Columbia]
 
[http://www.elections.ca Elections Canada]
 
== C. British Columbia Provincial Elections ==
 
Eligibility requirements for BC provincial elections are outlined in the ''Election Act'', RSBC 1996, c 106. A student should consult this Act  if a client has a specific problem as the Act is too lengthy to be discussed in detail in this chapter.
 
=== 1. General Information ===
 
The province is divided into various electoral districts, each represented by an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). Each  district has a registrar of voters whose duty is to ensure that the election of candidates in that district is carried out properly. The elections process is supervised by the Chief Electoral Officer. Elections BC can be contacted at:
 
Need to format this info:
Elections British Columbia
P.O. Box 9275 Stn  Provincial Government Victoria, BC V8W 9J6 Toll-free: 1-800-661-8683 Telephone: (250) 387-5305 Website: www.elections.bc.ca
 
=== 2. Who Is Eligible to Vote ===
 
Section 29 of the ''Election Act'' sets out who is eligible to vote in provincial elections. It states that in order to be eligible to vote in an electoral district, an individual must be a Canadian citizen over the age of 18, must be a registered resident of the electoral district,  must have been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months, and must not be otherwise disqualified. 
 
Although the requirement for individuals to be resident in British Columbia for six months seems to constitute a violation of section 3 of the Charter, case law has held similar provisions to be constitutional. In ''Re Yukon Election Residency Requirements'', [1986] 2 BCCR (2d) 50 (CA), BC’s Court of Appeal sitting as the Yukon’s Court of Appeal upheld a 12-month residency requirement imposed by the territorial government. The court found that this was a reasonable limit that was justified because of the desirability of having only persons familiar with local conditions voting for local representatives.
 
Section 30 disqualifies the following individuals from voting: the chief electoral officer, the deputy chief electoral officer, and anyone  prohibited from voting under Part 12 of the ''Election Act''.
 
Keep in mind that this is just a general guide, and is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Consult the ''Election Act'' for more detailed and extensive information.
 
Section 32 of the ''Election Act'' provides that individuals may only vote in an electoral district in which they are resident. The Act  defines a residence as the place where a person’s habitation is fixed, and to which, if he or she is absent, he or she intends to return. Note the following additional considerations:
*Leaving one’s home temporarily does not affect one’s residency status, but if a person leaves with the intention to remain away either indefinitely or permanently, that person loses their status as resident in BC.
*Persons entering the province temporarily are not considered to be resident for election purposes.
*Generally, a person's residence is the place where their family resides, but if a person moves out of the family home and does not intend to return, the person's residence will be the new place they have moved to.
*Single people reside where they sleep, regardless of where they eat or work.
*A change of residence occurs only if a person moves to and intends to remain in another place.
*Canadian military personnel who reside in BC do not lose their resident status by leaving the province for extended periods of time in the  course of their employment. Spouses and children who accompany military personnel may also retain their BC residence status.
 
=== 3. Registration and Voting Procedures ===
 
Eligible  voters  who  are  not  presently  on  the  voters’  list  in  their  district  may  obtain  an application  form  from  the  registrar  of  the  Electoral  District  in  which  they  reside. Occasionally  the  Registrar  General  will  hire  Deputy  Registrars  to  visit  residences  to  obtain new applications. Upon receiving an application and being satisfied that the application is valid and correct, the District Registrar will add the applicant’ s name to the voters’  list. That person is then eligible to vote in the next provincial election. An eligible voter may also register at a voting place on the day of the election. Amendments to  the Election  Act  enacted  in  2008  require  that  the  applicant  produce  identification  in  the form of either: a)one document, issued by the Government of British Columbia or Canada, that contains the applicant’ s name, photograph, and place of residence; b)one document, issued by the Government of Canada, that certifies that the applicant is registered as an Indian under the Indian Act (Canada);orc)at  least  2 documents  of  a  type  authorized  by  the chief  electoral  officer,  both  of  which contain the applicant's name and at least one of which contains the applicant's place of residence. Alternatively, section 41.1 allows eligible voters without documentation to be “vouched” for by  a  voter  registered  in  the  applicant’ s  electoral  district  with  documentation,  a  family member,  or “a  person  having  authority  under  the  common  law  or  an  enactment  to  make personal care decisions in respect of the applicant.”NOTE:              In the 2013 provincial election, prescription pill bottles or inhalers with the applicant’ s name were  accepted  as  a  valid  form  of  identification.  This  was  done  to  address  the  unique challenges  the  homeless  and  those  without  government-issued  identification  face  when exercising their right to vote.
5-31When  an  election  writ  is  issued,  the  District  Registrar  will  advertise  in  newspapers announcing the closing day for applications to register. According  to  the  court  in Hoogbruinv  BC  (Attorney  General)  (1985),  70  BCLR  1  (CA), individuals  have  a  constitutional  right  to  use  absentee  ballots.  The  procedure  for  absentee balloting is outlined in section 105 of the Election Act. Section 27 requires that general voting day for an election is the 28th day after the date on which the election is called. If that day is a holiday, the election will be on the next day that is not a holiday. Subsection 76(1) makes advance  polls  available  from  noon  to  9  p.m.  on  the  Wednesday,  Thursday,  Friday,  and Saturday  of  the  week preceding  election  day.  On  election  day  itself,  polls  are  open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. If a voter does not understand English, subsection 269(3) states that a sworn interpreter may be used to translate the required oath to the voter. Under subsection 269(4), before acting as a  translator  under  subsection  (3),  an  individual  must  make a  solemn  declaration  that  the person will be able to make the translation and will do so to the best of his or her abilities. Section  109  deals  with  special  circumstances  whereby  voters  with  physical  disabilities  or difficulties in reading or writing are able to get assistance in marking their ballots. Employees  are  entitled  by  section  74  to  four consecutive  hours  off  during  poll  hours  to attend a polling station, without loss of wages. However, the employer is entitled to choose which four hours are most convenient.  Upon arrival at the polling station, the voter must sign his or her name in a voting book (s 274), and confirm present address. Refusing to comply with this demand will disqualify the voter.  Upon  receiving  a  ballot,  the  voter  proceeds  to  a  screened  compartment,  marks  the ballot  and  returns  the  ballot  to  the  Returning  Officer,  who,  in  full  view  of  the voter,  must place  the  ballot  in  the  ballot  box.  The  voting  must  be  by  a  secret  ballot  as  per  section  90. Each  individual  present  at  a  voting  place,  including  people  such  as  voters  and  ballot counters, must not interfere with an individual marking a ballot, attempt to discover how an individual  voted,  or  communicate  information  regarding  how another  person  voted  or marked their ballot. The voter is then required to leave the premises. D.Federal Elections  The rules and regulations governing federal elections are set out in the Canada Elections Act, RSC 2000, c  9,  and  its  subsequent  amendments.  Many  of  these  rules and  regulations  are  similar  to  those applicable  to  BC  provincial  elections  discussed  above.  A  brief  survey  of  the  federal  Act  is  included below. Canadian  citizens  who  are  18  years  of  age  or  older  on  election  day  are  generally  eligible  to  vote  in federal  elections  (s  3). Under  the  statute,  persons  can  be  disqualified  from  voting  for  a  variety  of reasons (e.g., for incarceration or for corrupt or illegal practices). However, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the prohibition preventing inmates from voting inSauve v Canada (Chief Electoral Officer), 2002 SCC 68. A key consideration in this decision was that, by denying the vote to all prisoners, the Act failed to balance the right to vote against the seriousness of the  conduct  of  prisoners. The  Federal  Court  of  Canada  has  held  that  people  with  mental  disabilities do have the right to vote: see Canadian Disability Rights CouncilvCanada, [1988] 3 FC 622. While  federal  residency  requirements  do  exist,  they  are  more  relaxed  than  those  applicable  to  BC provincial  elections.  A  person  may  vote  only  once,  in  the  area  in  which  she  is “ordinarily  resident”. This  is  defined  in  much  the  same  way  as “resident”  is  defined  in  section  32  of  BC’ s Election  Act. A
5-32person who moves between the enumerator’ s visit and the day of the election could be forced to vote in the former riding if ordinarily resident there when the enumeration occurred. All voters must present one piece of government-issued ID with a photograph and residential address before being allowed to vote. If a voter cannot provide the required photo ID,  he or she may still be allowed to vote if he or she does one of two things (s 143): 1.provides  two  pieces  of  acceptable  identification  to  establish  the  voter’ s  identity,  at  least  one  of which establishes the voter’ s residence (a list of “acceptable identification” is to be published by the Chief Electoral Officer); or  2.provides  two  pieces  of identification  that  establishers the voter’ s  name,  and  then establishes  his or  her  residence  by  swearing  an  oath  in  writing  that  attests  to  where  they  live. The  voter  must also be accompanied by an individual who is registered to vote in the same polling division, has proper  identification,  and  vouches  for  the  person  without  ID  under  oath  and  in  the  prescribed form.  An  individual  can  only  vouch  for  one  person  at  an election,  and  an  individual  who  has been vouched for cannot vouch for someone else.  These requirements pose significant challenges to low-income individuals who may have no form of official identification. Further difficulties are created by the rule that an individual may only vouch for one other individual and the requirement that the voucher live and be on the elector’ s list in the same polling station as the intended vouchee. The constitutionality of these requirements was challenged in the British Columbia Supreme Court in Henry v Canada (Attorney General), 2010 BCSC 610. In that case, the court found that the legislation was inconsistent with the electoral rights guaranteed in section 3 of the Charter, but constituted a reasonable limit prescribed by law and was demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society under section 1 of the Charter. The provisions relating to vouching, as described above, were brought into force by the Fair Elections Act on December 2014. Under the new provisions, voters who have identification but cannot prove residence  will  be  allowed  to  sign  an  oath  attesting  to  where  they  live,  which  must  then  be corroborated  by  the  oath  of  another  voter.  However,  this leaves  voters  who  have  no  identification whatsoever  with  little  recourse.  This  controversial  measure  could  significantly  inhibit  the  ability  of low-income citizens and students to vote. Consequently, in June 2014, the Council of Canadians and the  Canadian  Federation  of  Students  announced  their  intention  to  challenge  this  legislation  in  the Ontario Superior Court on the grounds that it violates section 3 of the Charter. Many other provisions of the Canada Elections Act, such as an employee being entitled to receive time off  work  to  cast  a  ballot,  provisions  for  people  with  disabilities,  and  balloting  procedures  are  very similar  to BC  provincial  regulations  and  thus  are  not  repeated  here. Further inquiries can  be  sent  to Marc Mayrand, the current Chief Electoral Officer, at: Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer 257 Slater Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A OM6 Telephone: 1-800-463-6868 Website: www.elections.ca Note: Canada's federal election laws were recently overhauled by the controversial Fair Elections Act, which  received  royal  assent  in  June  2014.  Most  provisions  of  the Fair  Elections  Act have  come  into force.  A  number  of  sections  will  come  into  force  by  an  order  by  the  Governor  in  Council  or  on dissolution  of  Parliament,  the  latter  of  which  will  occur  at  some  point  prior  to  the  2015  Federal Election. Major  changes  to  the Canada  Election  Act  include  provisions  intended  to  increase  penalties  for offences,  reduce  voter  fraud,  and  empower  political  parties  to  drive  voter  turnout.  Specific  changes include  removing  vouching  in  favour  of  an  oath  system  where  a  voter  has  identification  but  cannot prove  current  residence;  moving  investigations  from  Elections  Canada  to  the  Director  of  Public
5-33Prosecutions; limiting the powers of Elections Canada; increasing donation limits; adding constraints on robocalls; and some changes to third-party advertising.  There has been considerable controversy surrounding theFair Elections Act. Depending on the results of the 2015 federal election, there may be significant changes to some or all of the CEA provisions in the near future.  In  June  2014,  the  Council  of  Canadians  and  the  Canadian  Federation  of  Students  announced  their intention  to  challenge  this  legislation  in  the  Ontario  Superior  Court  on  the  grounds  that  it  violates section 3 of the Charter. E.Municipal Elections Municipal election procedures are outlined in the Local Government Act, RSBC 1996, c 323, beginning at section 33. Please note, however, that elections in the City of Vancouver are governed by a separate provincial act, the Vancouver Charter, SBC 1953, c 55. To be eligible to vote, a person must normally be a Canadian citizen and 18 years of age or older on the day the election is held. A person thus qualified must be a Canadian citizen and a resident of BC for  six  months  immediately  before  election  day.  Furthermore,  to  be  qualified,  the  person  must  have been a resident of the jurisdiction (as per s 50) for at least 30 days immediately before election day. A  person  who  qualifies  as  outlined  above  with  the  exception  that  he  or  she  does  not  reside  in  the municipality  may  still  vote  in  an  election  if  he  or  she  is  the  owner  or  tenant  of  property  in  that municipality (s 51). The general residency rules are similar to those outlined in the BC Election Act. Applications to register should be made to the clerk of the municipality. Voters who are not yet registered on election day may apply to have their name added to the list on election day in a manner similar to that used in provincial elections (see ss 57-57.1). A person who is unable to produce identification can be registered as a voter. In order to do so, the individual  must  complete  an  application  for  registration and  be  accompanied  by  someone  who  is  a registered voter in the applicant’ s electoral district, an adult family member, or someone who has the authority to make personal care decisions in respect of the applicant. The applicant and the voucher must both make a solemn declaration, in writing, as to the applicant's identity and place of residence. A person can only vouch for one person, and an individual who has been vouched for cannot vouch for another person. NOTE:              A  literal  interpretation  of  both  the Canada  Elections  Act  RSC 2000,  c  9,  and  the  BC Election Act, RSBC  1996,  c  106,  suggests  that  it  is  practically  impossible  for  a  homeless  person  to vote. However, the provincial electoral officer facilitates voting by homeless people through an administrative policy of allowing a flexible definition of “residence”.


''Local Government Act'', RSBC 1996, c 323 Vancouver Charter, SBC 1953, c 55


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