Fair Elections Act’s not getting any fairer!

“In order to handle a problem, the Conservatives have created another problem that never existed before.

“Can we expect something from our elected leaders? Certainly not before the elections! But not to forget the promises that have been made by Justin Trudeau and the NDP party. Trudeau had dismissed the bill when it was being discussed in parliament as a “terrible piece of legislation.” He pledged to repeal it in its entirety if his party wins the 2015 elections and he succeeds Stephen Harper.

Elections are now set to change and get complicated. An Ontario Superior Court justice’s refusal last week to suspend new voting rules for the October election has brought certain core issues back to the fore. The issues also got the due attention when the Fair Elections Act was introduced last year.

Voters are now required to prove their identity and their address with photo ID — one piece if it’s government-issued, such as a drivers’ license or provincial ID card. And Elections Canada’s voter identification cards are no longer considered proof of address. Voters unable to prove their current address will now be required to have someone with proper ID who is registered at the same polling station to sign an oath attesting to their address. At the very outset, the rule does give indication that there are going to be delays on the day of election, with more time now required to prove your identification. Asking your friend to sign an oath would not only leave few brows, but will also affect the general mood of the voters. Some of them may finally decide to cast their vote in favor or against a party based on their recent experience at the polling station. And undoubtedly some Canadians will be turned away at the polls. The law has set the bench mark for identification higher and voters will have to abide by stricter rules and that won’t come easy.

In order to handle a problem, the Conservatives have created another problem that never existed before. In the 2011 election, as many as 400,000 people used voter information cards as official ID on Election Day, but will not be able to do so this time. Fair Elections Act thus has the potential to suppress the very essence of democracy. Turnout is likely to be suppressed, and perhaps the first time voters won’t get to see the real democracy standing for itself. Thus the provision was challenged, the Ontario court was asked to suspend the ID rules for the October election. In his 25-page decision, Superior Court Justice David Stinson refused to grant an injunction against the provision and said, “It is problematic to change the rules for elections at the last minute through the blunt instrument of judicial intervention. Late changes in election rules run the risk of unfairness or, at the very least, the perception of unfairness.” Justice David Stinson has a point as not much time is left now to bring in the change with less than 3months to go for the federal elections.

Can we expect something from our elected leaders? Certainly not before the elections! But not to forget the promises that have been made by Justin Trudeau and the NDP party. Trudeau had dismissed the bill when it was being discussed in parliament as a “terrible piece of legislation.” He pledged to repeal it in its entirety if his party wins the 2015 elections and he succeeds Stephen Harper. Trudeau had alleged that the attempt by Conservatives to change the law was “designed to help Conservative get re-elected”. His allegations against Conservatives can be attributing as aboriginal Canadians, seniors, students who want to have a say in how this country is directed, many of them feel that they may have to stay out of the polling process. NDP too had tried stopping the bill. “The Conservatives have weakened our democracy and it’s Canadians who will suffer,” NDP Democratic Reform deputy critic Alexandrine Latendresse had said then. “We are disappointed that the Conservatives have such contempt for Canadian voters.” Will the two parties try and make the Fair Election Act fairer? Or else this act would go the way of Prime Minister Stephen Harper‘s promise on Senate Reform.