Whitehorse Daily Star

Voters’ cards direct Yukoners to vote vast distances from home

Elections Canada is reissuing more than 300 Yukoners new Voter Information Cards after a widespread mix-up occurred.

By Aimee O'Connor on October 2, 2015

Elections Canada is reissuing more than 300 Yukoners new Voter Information Cards after a widespread mix-up occurred.

Some cards are advising some voters to travel hundreds of kilometres to vote on election day.

Local media reported today that some voters in Watson Lake were directed to vote in Haines Junction – a nearly 600-kilometre venture.

Some voters in Whitehorse were directed to go to Dawson City to vote.

Other voters in Marsh Lake were directed 60 kilometres away to Mount Lorne subdivision.

Similar problems are popping up in other jurisdictions as well.

A B.C. resident was advised on his card to vote on an island with no public ferry service.

Elections Canada officials are asking voters to check their cards and polling locations.

A meeting was held earlier this week with staff from the Yukon’s four federal campaigns and representatives from Elections Canada.

At the meeting on Tuesday, campaign staff were given a letter from Sue Edelman, the territory’s returning officer.

Edelman’s letter indicated that there were several “anomalies” on the voter’s list.

New information cards were sent out to the affected residents, Edelman wrote.

All voters can still cast advance ballots at their local returning office before voting day on Oct. 19.

The Whitehorse location is in the Yukon Centre Mall on Second Avenue, beside the Whitehorse liquor store.

It is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with shortened hours on the weekends.

Elections Canada officials were unavailable to discuss the problems with the voters’ cards before deadline this afternoon.

Comments (3)

Up 12 Down 1

Max Mack on Oct 3, 2015 at 2:11 am

In all likelihood, the "anomolies" were probably the result of bad coding and poor QA review - not problems with the voters list, per se. CYA seems to be the name of the game here.

Up 18 Down 5

Duane Gastant' Aucoin on Oct 2, 2015 at 5:50 pm

When I voted before I left the yukon they first couldn't find me anywhere on the system. Even after checking all of my info. Even though I've lived at the same address since 2005 & voted there for the last 3 elections! Even after I always tick the box on my tax returns to allow Elections Canada to have my info. So once the officer tried registering me then I miraculously reapperared on the system!
Really makes me question how uncompromised the Elections Canada system is!
Where's the server located?! In Harpers office??!!!!

Up 9 Down 2

wcc on Oct 2, 2015 at 5:27 pm

Robo call lol

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