You will be allow to vote with a burka in the next byelectio
werewolf @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:17 pm
Citizens exercising their right to vote at a polling station should identify themselves, with their face uncovered, and elections law should be amended to include that obligation
That being said, let's debunk some myths about federal election law:
a) until now, people showing up at a poll station with an elector card DID NOT have to produce any other form of ID - any election officer preventing a person from voting for showing an elector card but no other ID would have violated the law
b) even though I doubt that many people have tried to vote with a paper bag on their head ,there was and there is still NOTHING in the Election Act prohibiting anyone from wearing any form of face covering - any election officer preventing a person with his/her face covered from voting would have violated the law and would still violate the law (IF THE LAW DOES NOT FORBID SOMETHING, THEN IT IS NOT FORBIDDEN)
c) since face covering was NOT forbidden before women in burquas started voting, there is no so-called "special rights" extended to anyone -- EVERYONE who choses to had and still have the legal right to vote with their face covered, until the law is changed
d) the job of the Chief Election Officer is to administer electoral laws AS THEY EXIST, and that's exactly what he is doing - if the Parliament wants to do the reasonnable thing and mandate identification of voters with their face uncovered, they should do their job, not blame a civil servant for doing his job the way he is mandated to do.
werewolf @ Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:03 am
lily lily:
great first post, werewolf. 
Don't worry, it will go downhill from here
RUEZ @ Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:12 am
This is good news, I planned on wearing my burqua to vote in the next election. It covers my bald head.
werewolf @ Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:21 am
Get ready to wear a toopee. The MPs are not so stupid that they can't amend the law to have it say what they wanted it to say in the first place. 
RUEZ @ Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:11 am
werewolf werewolf:
Get ready to wear a toopee. The MPs are not so stupid that they can't amend the law to have it say what they wanted it to say in the first place.
Figures, don't these damn politicians care about my vanity?
Wally_Sconce @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:33 am
werewolf werewolf:
Citizens exercising their right to vote at a polling station should identify themselves, with their face uncovered, and elections law should be amended to include that obligation
That being said, let's debunk some myths about federal election law:
a) until now, people showing up at a poll station with an elector card DID NOT have to produce any other form of ID - any election officer preventing a person from voting for showing an elector card but no other ID would have violated the law
b) even though I doubt that many people have tried to vote with a paper bag on their head ,there was and there is still NOTHING in the Election Act prohibiting anyone from wearing any form of face covering - any election officer preventing a person with his/her face covered from voting would have violated the law and would still violate the law (IF THE LAW DOES NOT FORBID SOMETHING, THEN IT IS NOT FORBIDDEN)
c) since face covering was NOT forbidden before women in burquas started voting, there is no so-called "special rights" extended to anyone -- EVERYONE who choses to had and still have the legal right to vote with their face covered, until the law is changed
d) the job of the Chief Election Officer is to administer electoral laws AS THEY EXIST, and that's exactly what he is doing - if the Parliament wants to do the reasonnable thing and mandate identification of voters with their face uncovered, they should do their job, not blame a civil servant for doing his job the way he is mandated to do.
That being said, let's debunk some myths about federal election law:
a) until now, people showing up at a poll station with an elector card DID NOT have to produce any other form of ID - any election officer preventing a person from voting for showing an elector card but no other ID would have violated the law
b) even though I doubt that many people have tried to vote with a paper bag on their head ,there was and there is still NOTHING in the Election Act prohibiting anyone from wearing any form of face covering - any election officer preventing a person with his/her face covered from voting would have violated the law and would still violate the law (IF THE LAW DOES NOT FORBID SOMETHING, THEN IT IS NOT FORBIDDEN)
c) since face covering was NOT forbidden before women in burquas started voting, there is no so-called "special rights" extended to anyone -- EVERYONE who choses to had and still have the legal right to vote with their face covered, until the law is changed
d) the job of the Chief Election Officer is to administer electoral laws AS THEY EXIST, and that's exactly what he is doing - if the Parliament wants to do the reasonnable thing and mandate identification of voters with their face uncovered, they should do their job, not blame a civil servant for doing his job the way he is mandated to do.
good post, I've always felt that the spirit of the law is to get EVERYONE out to vote. Its a right that over 1 third of Canadians don't exercise.
ka3bour @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:01 am
I think media & politicians stigmatises the veil issue to transfer the public opinion from the real issues that Canada is facing like economic recession, illeterate people - yes in Canada we r facing a big problem of illeterate enhancement- green house emission & many others.
it seems like veil is the only political debate.
kenmore @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:34 pm
Ka3bour what planet are you on Canada is far from facing a recession. its the USA thats facing one.. our ecomomy is booming and the GPN is great and we have the lowest unemployment rate.. thats why the loonie is so strong... geeze!
hwacker @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:44 pm
kenmore kenmore:
Ka3bour what planet are you on Canada is far from facing a recession. its the USA thats facing one.. our ecomomy is booming and the GPN is great and we have the lowest unemployment rate.. thats why the loonie is so strong... geeze!
Mr Sears , if the USA has one we are going to have one. Jeeze.
WVCanuk @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:37 am
How can we be so culturally insensitive?
Women from countries requiring veils would not be allowed to vote, or drive for that matter.
In order to REALLY be culturally sensitive, we should not allow veiled women to vote in the first place.
Sort of tongue-in-cheek, but not really, voter identification in order to assure one-person-on-vote is kind of necessary, voter fraud is already high enough to make results questionable.
Wally_Sconce @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:52 am
Whats the point of having voter cards and registration? Are you guys saying that none of it works, just because we are allowing burkas? how was the system any more or any less accurate before?
ShepherdsDog @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:17 am
hwacker hwacker:
kenmore kenmore:
Ka3bour what planet are you on Canada is far from facing a recession. its the USA thats facing one.. our ecomomy is booming and the GPN is great and we have the lowest unemployment rate.. thats why the loonie is so strong... geeze!
Mr Sears , if the USA has one we are going to have one. Jeeze.
this sub prime fiasco may just well do it. the central banks may be overwhelmed and not be able to bail people asses out this time. a big 'correction' may result.
Blue_Nose @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:24 am
WVCanuk WVCanuk:
Sort of tongue-in-cheek, but not really, voter identification in order to assure one-person-on-vote is kind of necessary, voter fraud is already high enough to make results questionable.
The new identification system was implimented in order to reduce voter fraud. Women with burkas must prove their identity like everyone else.
WVCanuk @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:46 am
Blue_nose, I am all for the new voter id system...long overdue.
Seems a bit of a waste to require photo id, and still not be able to tell what a person looks like.
Blue_Nose @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:58 am
WVCanuk WVCanuk:
Blue_nose, I am all for the new voter id system...long overdue.
Seems a bit of a waste to require photo id, and still not be able to tell what a person looks like.
Photo ID is not required.
Seems a bit of a waste to require photo id, and still not be able to tell what a person looks like.