Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is one of 91 candidates registered in the suburban Ottawa riding of Carleton. It’s tied for the record of having the most candidates on the ballot with the 2024 byelection in the Montreal riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. Most candidates are connected to an electoral reform advocacy group called the Longest Ballot Committee. Mark Moutter, an independent candidate in the riding who is part of that initiative, joins Power & Politics to discuss why he’s put his name on this large ballot.
This prank makes it hard for poll workers to do their job, and difficult for voters to exercise their democratic rights. Especially those with accessibility issues. I’m not saying this hypothetically, this is confirmed by someone I know volunteering in that riding.
I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment of ditching FPTP. But this is not acceptable.
I had to deal with it in my riding last hear(one riding split into two so we had to vote) and it was fine, chill. Yes, it is a bit more of a headache than it should be and that’s kinda the fucking point. We’ve been screaming for this from the Liberals who literally promised it ten years ago and that has done nothing.
When the convoy didn’t even really know what they wanted, were in the wrong place to get what was generally considered their goal, and became a huge disturbance that really only amounted to a nazi block party, sure, that was a load of bullshit. This really isn’t causing that many issues and it’s pointed in a very clear direction. Stop trying to tell protestors to stop bothering you, it’s not a good look.
You know what’s a “bad look”? Protesting in a such a way that makes it hard for Canadians to exercise their democratic rights.
I’m not the one being bothered by this. It’s seniors and people with disabilities who struggle with a ballot that is well over a metre long. It’s poll workers who are affected by the struggle to accommodate the process of voting and tabulating the results.
It is causing issues. I know this from firsthand reports of personal friends who are volunteering in the affected riding. I’m happy to wear this “bad look” because it’s not me being affected.
Is this concern trolling? Like for real this is reaching deeeeeep into the cookie jar of complaints.
Don’t feed the trolls
I have a firsthand report of someone in this riding who is having difficulty helping seniors with mobility issues be able to vote.
I’m extremely fucking pissed at all the assholes who think “ha ha this is funny it doesn’t affect me”
It’s fucking gross. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
VOTE. BY. MAIL. We have the capability.
I’ll have to ask my grandfather, who has pretty low mobility, if he had any trouble. After all, I don’t live there any more but my parents, two grandparents, and sister still live in Pierre’s riding. I haven’t heard anything yet, but if he’s not voting it’s not the fucking ballot that’s slowing him down but the reduced mobility that would make it hard for him to get there in the first place. If he’s worried about actually getting there then he can get a mail in ballot, and may have even done so, at which point it all becomes a lot simpler.
Yes, folding it up is not the easiest task, but c’mon, give me a break.
Our system can accommodate the protest with no difficulty. It may take poll workers and scrutineers a little longer to tally to vote in these polls, but that has no overall effect.
You’re right that some people may have a harder time with the ballot. That sucks.
Sure but in the other hand a bunch of fucking assholes get a laugh about their funny prank. “That sucks” that it affects real human beings and makes it more difficult for them to exercise their democratic rights
I do not underhanded how people here are so jaded that somehow I’m the bad guy. Absolutely disgusted with this crowd
You’ve mentioned friend-of-a-friend accounts regarding someone with mobility issues. It’s unclear how that relates to the problem at hand. As with anything on the Internet, it’s hard for us to trust your statements without evidence or links.
You’ve mentioned that this will cause headaches for the poll workers, but haven’t stated how. From what I know of scrutineering, it won’t.
Electoral reform has gotten little media traction since Trudeau’s backpedalling a decade ago. Most of us are happy to see something happen.
There may be legitimate reasons not to use this method of protest, but you haven’t shown that from a reputable source.