Why some Montreal voters were denied right to vote in Quebec provincial election
Quebec #Quebec
Millions of Quebecers turned out to vote in Monday’s election but some Montrealers say they were turned away from polling stations when their names were dropped from the electoral list.
Côte-des-Neiges resident Myriam Mavros said she’s miffed about not being able to vote.
According to her, when she did not get her voter notification card, as other members of her family did, she says called Elections Quebec two weeks ago and left her phone number as instructed.
Read more:
Quebec election: Legault’s tense relationship with Ottawa likely to now continue
But she said nobody called her back.
“I said it must’ve been a glitch in the system and they must have my name on the list because they’ve had it for every other election,” she reasoned.
On Monday, she went to her polling station with other family members with identification and proof of address but, though both her husband and her daughter’s names were registered, she said she wasn’t.
Mavros said she asked to be put on site and was told no, and she was denied the chance to vote.
Jeremy Filosa from Montreal North said he had the same problem even though he’s lived at the same address for years.
“Oh yes, I’ve been able to vote here at exactly the same place without a problem,” he said, referring to his polling station, “but they say that these things do happen on occasion.”
According to Elections Quebec a yellow reminder card with no name that is sent to all households is not proof that the resident’s name is on the electoral list.
“Sadly, even if you have an ID piece with you and your yellow card, we really can’t allow an elector to vote if they are not on the list,” spokesperson Julie St-Arnaud Drolet told Global News.
Read more:
Trudeau congratulates Legault on Quebec election win, promises to work together
She stressed that if people don’t receive written confirmation that they are registered to vote, it’s their responsibility to contact Elections Quebec.
“During provincial election it is not possible to register on election day, but it is possible to do so during federal election,” she explained.
Disappointed citizens say something should be done
“Well I think if there’s this type of a mistake that there should be a way to correct it on site,” Filosa argued.
Mavros said she’s still wondering why nobody from Elections Quebec called her back before election day, and that she plans to file a complaint.