No. 04August 19, 2021
|
44th General Election
Montrealers Enthusiastically Sign Nomination Papers of Candidates for Democratic Renewal
Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada (Mpara1 candidates in the Montreal area have been meeting with people to gather the one hundred signatures they require to be candidates in the September 20 Federal Election. As in previous elections, but even more so this time around, what the work to nominate MLPC candidates is revealing is the people’s desire to learn more about the Party’s program embodied in the call For a Modern Canada that Defends the Rights of All. It takes the form of people readily signing the nomination form, making comments such as “We need other voices than the ones we keep hearing,” “I know your Party and I have signed for it before,” “I have voted for your Party in past elections, rather than wasting my vote,” “I used to vote for Trudeau but I cannot agree with his decision to indebt generations of Canadians to private banks,” “This election is a waste: the record expense of $610 million it will incur could almost pay the dental care costs of all Canadians for an entire year,” and so on.
Electors have also shared with MLPC candidates their concerns over the great injustices that exist within Canadian society, such as the crimes that continue to be committed against Indigenous peoples, the abandonment of the most vulnerable, the hierarchy of rights that exist in Canada.
They also continuously express anger over the fact that despite the fact that Canada has entered into the fourth wave of the pandemic, Justin Trudeau has called a federal election to secure a majority government for his party so that it can rule unfettered.
Election Calendar
Applying for a Mail-in Ballot
For the 2021 Election, Elections Canadapara1 instituted an online method for electors residing in the country to apply for a mail-in ballot. Once an elector applies for a mail-in ballot, the option to vote in person, either at advanced polls or on polling day, is forfeited.
The application process for a mail-in ballot requires the elector to upload an acceptable piece of identification. Once the application has been processed, Elections Canada confirms receipt of the application by e-mail and provides a tracking number where the status of the ballot can be viewed, from it being sent to the elector, up to the completed ballot having been received by Elections Canada. The elector is provided with a “voters kit” which includes a stamped return envelope. The counting of mail-in ballots requires additional processing time to protect the secrecy of the ballot.
The deadline for applying for a mail-in ballot is September 14, 6:00 pm. The deadline for receipt by Elections Canada is polling day at 6:00 pm if you are voting by mail from outside of your riding. Electors have the option of dropping their ballot off at special boxes that will be in place at polling stations, in which case they must be received before the polls close.
To use a mail-in ballot, electors must know the name of the candidate they wish to vote for as the proscribed form provides only a blank space in which to write a single name. Even after the final list of candidates is published on September 1, the same mail-in ballot is used, as stipulated by law.
Elections Canada informs: “Candidates continue to be confirmed until Monday, August 30. If you already know who you are voting for, you can mark and return your ballot at any time. If you aren’t sure or prefer to wait until all of the candidates in your riding have been confirmed, you can simply wait until the final list has been published.”
Counting of mail-in ballots requires additional processing time. An outer envelope with the elector’s name is first checked off against the voters’ lists. The inner envelope which is unmarked and contains the ballot is then placed in a ballot box unopened. Mail-in ballots do not start to be counted until after in-person ballots have all been counted, as Elections Canada needs to verify that the voter has not already cast a ballot in person. With projections of up to five million electors choosing to vote by mail, counting may take up to several days in some ridings.
(To access articles individually click on the black headline.)
Send your articles, photographs, reports, views and comments to editormlpc@cpcml.ca
