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Elections Canada Mask Policy & Voting Rights Overview:
- Who: Elections Canada
- What: A legal advocacy organization says Elections Canada could be violating individuals’ right to vote by requiring they wear a mask to the polls.
- Where: Canada
Elections Canada could be violating individuals’ right to vote by requiring they wear a mask to the polls to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a socially conservative legal advocacy organization says.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) said Elections Canada’s decision to block unmasked people from entering the polls Sept. 20 could breach Section 3 of the Charter guaranteeing the right to vote, Western Standard Online reports.
“Every Canadian has the right to vote, guaranteed by Sec. 3 of the Charter,” Marty Moore, staff lawyer for the organization, said.
“Elections Canada runs a grave risk of violating that right unjustifiably if they turn someone away from voting for not wearing a facial covering. The burden would then be on Elections Canada to justify their actions, with evidence and scientific data.”
However, Elections Canada hit back, saying it needs to balance the values underlying the individual right to vote with its mandate to provide safe and accessible voting services to all constituents.
“Electors who refuse to wear a mask where they are required undermine the safety of polling places,” Elections Canada spokesperson Natasha Gauthier said.
Poll officers have been told to call the police, if need be, to enforce pandemic rules.
The JCFF said Elections Canada would need to prove whether a facial covering was even sufficient to prevent the spread of COVID-19, otherwise it should only be allowing those wearing N-95s.
Last year, The City of Edmonton became the target of a $565 million lawsuit over a mandatory mask bylaw.
According to that lawsuit, the temporary mask law was a “nuisance” and a hazard to public health. The mandatory mask lawsuit also claims that the law has increased a flurry of used masks on the streets, potentially leading to a health hazard.
What do you think of the mask mandate at the polls? Let us know in the comments!
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4 thoughts onElections Canada Could be Violating Right to Vote by Requiring Mask, Says Conservative Legal Advocacy
I worked the polling station and we asked people to wear a mask but if they said no – we obviously allowed them to vote !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we had disposable pencils and cleaned the stations after each voter. what a joke this is…….jesus its hard to get people to vote and
it really seems like the Liberals and the NDP rig elections
We had to line up outside with masks before voting centre. I choose NOT to wear a face covering OUTSIDE a building, in fresh air, with people being segregated, separated from one another and a masked , poll worker went around telling people how to behave. You could not see (its) face. Hat, dark glasses, mask, and taking an authoratize stand sheepling adult humans around. I was told to get a mask, leave my spot in line up and go get masked, or not vote! I left…never voted for the SELECTED , rigged, fake Election 2021.
I think that this is interesting: “The JCFF said Elections Canada would need to prove whether a facial covering was even sufficient to prevent the spread of COVID-19, otherwise it should only be allowing those wearing N-95s.” I wore a facial covering when I voted but it was not an N-95 mask. It is also important to consider that many people, including homeless people, cannot afford to supply themselves with N-95 masks. From what I understand, homeless people are allowed to vote (https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/how-can-people-experiencing-homelessness-vote-federal-election). So should Elections Canada have provided me, and every voter, with a free N-95 mask so we could comply with the rules and vote in safety? Or did Elections Canada endanger my health and the health of others by allowing us to vote only wearing a facial covering? Did Elections Canada infringe on voter’s rights by turning facial covering-less people away from the polling stations? Unfortunately, I do not have a degree in law and I am not familiar with all of the legislation. But it sounds like there could be a case.