Elections are all about the issues for both the candidates and voters. In local election politics these issues can range from how to increase the rate of recycling, what roads need to be repaved or how much taxes will increase. These are usually the issues that tend to get the attention of the politicians, the media and the voters.
However, other election issues do arise. Take my case when I received a letter from the Deputy Clerk of the Town of Aurora stating they could not confirm my Canadian Citizenship and thus am not on the voters list. Then the Town of Aurora sends me a voter registration card which basically says I'm on the voters list and please vote at this poll. I'm still confused about how I could be on the voters list since I have not followed up on the letter from the Deputy Clerk and confirmed my Canadian citizenship. For the full story on my situation click here.
Perhaps even worse is a story I read today in the Toronto Sun. A gentleman has received a voter registration card for the upcoming municipal election in the city of Toronto. This particular voter registration card was issued to the name of his wife who is dead. To make matters worse, his wife has been dead for thirteen years and yet he continues to receive voter registration cards for elections at the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government. Perhaps voters lists could be updated a little more thoroughly using the written applications for death certificates. But of course this would be too simple.
Another issue that doesn't get much media attention is the problem of election signs. Oh sure there are pictures of politicians banging in election signs on some nicely manicured lawns of your typical single family suburban home. But what about the people who live in apartment buildings? How do they publicly show support for a candidate? The Torontoist blog takes a look at this very issue in terms of the upcoming Toronto municipal election in this post. Apparently there are so many legalities around if and when an election sign is put up on both public and private property it would make your head spin. So how do candidates figure these rules? How do private citizens figure out these rules? For that matter, who even knows all the rules?
Friends of mine have lived together in Aurora for about two or three years in an apartment together. These friends have not received their voter registration cards yet. Even worse was a letter to the editor in the local newspaper I read recently. The author of the letter stated after living in the same house for over twenty five years, she did not receive a voters registration card for the upcoming municipal election in Aurora. These two instances just make you want to go "Hmmmm..."
Election issues are fun to read about and investigate. Sometimes they make you laugh and think "How can they be so stupid?" While others make you go "Hmmmmmm". So if you live in Ontario, please remember to vote on November 13th. And for my sake, please ensure your over the age of eighteen, a resident or tenant of the municipality you are voting in, because, trust me, the powers that be sure won't.
Bibliography
Lostracco, Marc. "When Your Landlord Hearts The Other Candidate." Torontoist. 3 November 2006. Online. Internet. 13 December 2010. Available: http://torontoist.com/2006/11/when_your_landl.php
Suddard, Michael. "Am I on the Voter's List?" Michael Suddard's Homepage. 28 October 2006. Online. Internet. 13 December 2010. Available: http://www.michaelsuddard.blogspot.com/2006/10/am-i-on-voters-list.html
Links
Michael Suddard's Homepage Blog - www.michaelsuddard.blogspot.com
Toronto Sun - www.torontosun.com
Torontoist - www.torontoist.com
Town of Aurora - www.town.aurora.on.ca