December 11th Event: Voter Suppression: Where we are now and the way forward

2012 December 04, by Chapter Council

Voters have challenged the results of the May 2011 election in six ridings across Canada. The case starts December 10th. The Council of Canadians through its Democracy 24/7 campaign are supporting the voters in their efforts. Join us for a talk and some discussion on recent developments in the Election Fraud court case, what happened, and what reform is needed to avoid fraud in the next election. This event is part of what we hope will be an ongoing Coffee Night series. Refreshments including coffee and tea will be provided.

Date: December 11
Time: 7:00pm
Where: Victoria West Community Association
521 Craigflower Rd  Victoria, BC V9A 6Z5 Songhees Territories
Contact: info@victoriacouncilofcanadians.ca

Background

The May 2011 federal election was the scene of unprecedented attempts to suppress the votes of people who were mostly identified as not voting for the Conservative Party. In the days leading up to the election, thousands of phone calls, both robotic and live-person, went out to voters misinforming them that their polling station had changed. Liberal and NDP supporters also got late night and nuisance phone calls claiming to be from their party headquarters in an attempt to harass them into not voting. While local discussion of  voter suppression was ongoing, the issue reached national recognition after a press investigation by Post Media. Greater Victoria residents were some of the first targets of fraudulent phone campaigns in 2008 with spoofed calls going out to NDP members in Saanich-Gulf Islands asking them to vote for a candidate who had withdrawn from the race. In the absence of strong condemnation and consequences, these efforts to sway close elections may worsen and further erode Canadians’ trust in the democratic process. 

The Extent of Voter Suppression

• Widespread and targeted phone calls
• 1147 complaints from 247 ridings
• Elections Canada to obtain phone records from 56 ridings
• 6 court cases from 6 ridings beginning on December 10th

The Event

The Co-Chair of the Victoria Chapter of the Council of Canadians Bharat Chandramouli will share updates on the voter suppression case, and we will facilitate a discussion on what reform, including strengthening Elections Canada’s powers and enacting proportional representation is needed to restore our trust in the democratic process.

We are excited to revive the Victoria Council of Canadians Coffee Night.

Download the poster: Voter Suppression talk [PDF]