CLC Blog

CLC Blog

Vote early, vote often

A Liberal candidate in Whitehorse, Yukon, is raising some eyebrows for potentially breaking election rules by soliciting proxy votes from people who don’t qualify for them.

Tamara Goeppel claims that by helping vulnerable people fill out proxy forms, she’s giving them a chance to vote. According to Elections Yukon, a proxy vote can only be used by Yukon citizens who will be away from the province on the advance poll days and election day.

Goeppel says “We made the decision that for these folks, this is the only way that they can vote,”

Although one can sympathize with the Liberal candidate for trying to help marginalized people, by helping them fulfill their democratic right to vote, she’s not telling them “whether you’re rich or poor,  every Canadian is equal on election day. I want to make sure you vote"... no, what she’s saying is, “I'm willing to break the rules to get your vote”.  That is highly problematic.

This tactic is one step removed from signing up voters from the cemeteries. What next, soon we’ll have candidates taking names from tombstones? This reminds me of an old adage, vote early, vote often.

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