Let’s remove the barriers to voting

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/10/2014 (3781 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Voter turnout in the latest civic election once again climbed following 2006’s disastrous levels. In that sense, city administrators should be congratulated because the improvement in voter turnout can likely be seen as a result of the extension of advance polling. But overall, it is clear the way elections are conducted in this city, province, and country is antiquated, cumbersome and needs serious improvement.

In 2010, city administrators expanded advance polling locations and the number of days available to vote. The ease of being able to vote while shopping for shoes meant voter turnout increased to 47.1 per cent from 38.2 per cent in 2006. This year, even more people took advantage of the convenience with 30,619 votes placed from Sept. 29 to Oct. 17 — a 20 per cent increase — and our overall voting turnout was just over 50 per cent.

Despite the fact Winnipeg outshines other Prairie cities such as Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton in terms of voter turnout, more can and should be done to attract voters and make it more convenient.

First, any barriers preventing individuals from voting must be removed. The requirement of having an address and identification with that address can be difficult, particularly for persons living in poverty and those who move a lot.

This may be one of the many reasons voter turnout was low in wards such as Mynarski, at just 36 per cent and Point Douglas, at only 39 per cent. Compare this to more affluent wards such as Charleswood-Tuxedo and River Heights-Fort Garry at 57 per cent.

The municipal elections act does allow for people who are homeless to vote using the shelter at which they attend as their primary source of residence. But requiring them to produce identification — a Manitoba Health card, Blue Cross, a personalized cheque or a credit card statement — may mean they are turned away. Certainly, if someone has a birth certificate and can swear an oath regarding of the address at which he or she resides, shouldn’t that be enough to vote?

There aren’t gangs of roving itinerant voters attempting to commit voter fraud, are there?

Additionally, the city did not place a polling station or provide advance polling at any of the shelters, nor did it consider using the space at Winnipeg Harvest, something that organization is now pursuing for the next civic election.

There is also an overwhelming need for the process to be modernized. It’s unbelievable in this day and age when everything from navel oranges to airplane engines have bar codes, that election workers at all three levels still need to rely on the ancient process of pen and ruler. Why not put a bar code on the voter-information card sent to voters on the electoral list and streamline the process?

This was a major complaint from people in this civic election, because it led to long lineups, particularly for those who went to the polls at peak hours. Perhaps the hours can be extended even further, beginning at 7 a.m. and ending at 9 p.m. Hire more workers to get things moving along.

The bigger question should be why do voters even have to go to a polling station?

Large political parties for years have relied on electronic voting as a way to better involve party members in the democratic process. All manner of technology has evolved that allows individuals to vote from their phone or online, and with smartphone technology, there could even be an app for that. Granted, there have been issues with technological glitches in the past, but many of the glitches have been worked out.

If we are serious about ensuring everyone has the opportunity to exercise his or her democratic right to vote, then we need to get serious about making the practice of voting easier and more accessible.

Time to get into the modern age.