There was a big sign where one voted during the advance poll asking: how are we doing?
Well, let me tell you how they are doing.
I show up there, on a half rainy-half cloudy day, at noon, as it says they are open at noon.
I stood in line, outside in the West Coast drizzle, with all the other seniors, most who were in worse shape than me, for one-and-a-half hours.
Now if you were ambivalent about whether you were going to vote, wouldn’t that be enough to convince you otherwise? No chairs, nowhere to sit, a lot leaning on their canes or walkers, unfortunately I didn’t have either, I just have a bad back and can’t stand for long.
We were told we had to have two pieces of ID so we can vote, one with picture. So I had my passport, my Canadian passport and I had my B.C. Care card, which proves I am a senior and have access to medical care in Canada. I had my voters card, mailed to my address, with my name on it
Sorry you can’t vote with this ID. Do you have a driver’s licence with you? No, I don’t and I can bet half of those people in line don’t even have a driver’s licence. Well then you have to have a picture B.C. ID, don’t you have a B.C. Hydro bill or something with you. No, I don’t. Well is there anyone here that can sign an oath that you live at that address? No, there isn’t. My passport name and the name on my voter card prove I live at that address and my passport proves I am who I say I am.
End of story — I had to go without voting.
I had been to the doctor and then to the pharmacy and said I would just pop down to vote while they were filling my prescription, so by the time I walked down to vote, then walked back and had stood in line for an hour and a half and it was now almost 2 p.m., I just went home exhausted and furious.
I was made to feel like a criminal. I am 70 years old and a Canadian citizen, as my passport indicates. I am on their voter’s list, on their sheets where they check you off. What could I possibly be trying to do? Vote in the wrong riding? Well, regardless, I am only going to get one vote and when they checked their lists, I was there for that riding.
No wonder so many people don’t vote. Elections Canada, you should be ashamed.
Judy KentQualicum Beach