In an earlier article, I noted the diverse backgrounds of the local candidates for the federal elections.

Today, I will describe the process of the election here in Canada, as a personal experience, mainly for my non-Canadian readers.

The process started by filing the taxes for tax year 2004 in March 2005. One of the questions is whether one would want to be on the elector list. Canada Revenue Agency sends the name and address to Election Canada.

When elections are scheduled, Elections Canada sends you a voter information card a few weeks before the elections, with your name and address, as well as the location, time and date the poll station will be open. As well, alternate voting locations and dates are listed (advance polls). One can also vote by postal mail.

Today was the date for the federal elections for 2006. My wife and I  drove to the Cedars Worship Centre, where the local poll station was located. There was a young woman at the entrance of the hall who directed us to one of the three polling desks. Ours was staffed by a lady and a gentleman. The gentleman took the voting cards, checked our driver's license against the voters list, marked the list, gave us each a ballot, and told us to go behind the screen and mark the ballot. We were to go separately, not together. The screen is actually a cardboard thing with Elections Canada written on it. The ballot is supposed to be marked by pencil with an X sign.

The ballot was handed back to the lady, who tore off the stub of the ballot, and handed it to me to put it in the box. Here is a picture of a ballot. 

I asked them if I can take a picture, and they said I can. See the screen on the left, and the box is on the table.

As for the election results, this deserves a separate article. 

Trivia 

• Remember that in Canada, you are not allowed to eat the ballot.
• Prisoners are allowed to vote in Canada.

Canada and Egypt

One should be thankful when contrasting all this with what a farce the Egyptian Presidential elections last year was, and  how systematic exclusion and intimidation made the Egyptian parliamentary elections yet another farce.