Fears Parc Ex voters will be disoriented without their usual info cards
With the postal service labour dispute still unresolved and door-to-door mail delivery uncertain, incumbent Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros is worried that confusion resulting from Canada Post’s failure to deliver voter information cards could impact the outcome of the November 2 elections.
“It’s one great obstacle that we are working hard to fix,” Deros said in an interview with Nouvelles Parc Extension News regarding the additional efforts that she and her campaign team have had to make.
Hard to reach voters
As a large number of the district’s residents habitually don’t communicate in English or French but rely on media sources in their own language, most of the time they’re unaware of what’s happening locally, according to Deros.
Because of the Canada Post strike, the municipal elections director for the City of Montreal decided to outsource delivery of the voter information cards, with dates, times and polling station locations, to a private courier service.
But unlike Canada Post, which in previous elections has always delivered the cards to apartment building lobby mailboxes, the courier dropped batches of information cards on the lobby floor in apartment buildings, so that many recipients probably never received the card meant for their household, said Deros.
Densely-populated Parc Ex
Since Parc Extension is densely populated and most residents live in multi-unit apartment buildings, the impact of this method of distribution is likely to be felt on election day, added Deros. She noted that the courier service isn’t entirely at fault as they don’t have access keys to open apartment lobby mailboxes, like Canada Post.
The Élections-Québec protocol for delivering voter information cards requires only the address of the recipient (or recipients) to show through a transparent envelope window pane, although the name or names are listed on the information sheet inside the envelope.
Confusion arises when anyone looking for their own information card has no choice but to open the other envelopes. Deros said a few civic-minded residents of the area she has become aware of went to the trouble of picking up information cards off the lobby floor and delivered them by hand to the intended apartments.
Getting out the message
In the meantime, she added, volunteers on her campaign team have been getting the word out with hundreds of phone calls to residents about the dates and times for advance and election day polls, as well as the necessity to bring some valid I.D. when going to vote.
“So, at least we’re helping the situation ourselves,” said Deros. “But this isn’t just Parc Ex – it’s all over Montreal and other cities like Laval. I don’t know how those people are going to know when and how and where to go and vote.”
She said senior citizens, among others, are probably not going to bother retrieving the information card meant for their apartment. Asked whether this may make an impact on the voting results, Deros responded, “In multiplexes it’s going to be very difficult.”
In the meantime, Deros and her crew are working the phones to try and minimize the damage. “We are making as many phone calls as we can with our volunteers,” she said. “We’re trying to inform people on what they have to do and how to do it. It’s not easy.
Time growing short
“Because the time is flying,” she continued. “There’s very little time left, and hopefully people will understand and go out and vote. But again, being aware of the diversity we have, and the lack of understanding of what’s happening, it’s possible again that people in Parc Ex will stay home and not go vote. This is what is scary, because once again democracy will not be able to be practiced.
“It’s a democratic right to exercise our capacity to go and vote. And especially municipal elections: we cater to their daily needs. And, unfortunately, once again people will not be able to understand the system. They will not know what to do or how to go about it and it’s sad.
“Very sad and frustrating because we [elected officials] work hard,” Deros added. “We work daily to provide services and the last years have been very difficult because the administration has not been listening to people’s needs. And we’re trying had to tell them that we’re the alternative, that we are those who will take the time to listen to them and serve the citizens according to their needs.”
Voter info for advance and voting day polls
Election Day Sunday, November 2, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Early Voting Sunday, October 26, 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Walk-in and Home Voting Saturday, October 25, Daytime
Voting at the Returning Officer’s Office Friday, October 24
Monday, October 27
Tuesday, October 28
Wednesday, October 29, 4:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m
