Why do the Harper Conservatives dislike students?

[punked]

You are still wrong...and that's what you get for relying so much on American data. Ballots cast from all demographic groups are subject to undervotes, overvotes, spoiled ballot, counting errors, and outright fraud, even for "white people" in Tallahassee, Florida.

But if you are African American you are more likely to have your vote tossed. Don't look at me look at the stats. In America the AA population is around 12% yet they make up over half of all votes that are tossed.

[bush_cheney2004]

But if you are African American you are more likely to have your vote tossed. Don't look at me look at the stats. In America the AA population is around 12% yet they make up over half of all votes that are tossed.

How do they know the "race" of all those voters? You are making stuff up as usual. What does any of this have to do with Canada?

Edited April 15, 2011 by bush_cheney2004

[punked]

How do they know the "race" of all those voters? You are making stuff up as usual. What does any of this have to do with Canada?

How do the Republicans? It is the polls they live in. If your poll is 60% African American and 1 in Ballots are tossed then 9% of the Ballots were tossed ones from African Americans.

[bush_cheney2004]

How do the Republicans? It is the polls they live in. If your poll is 60% African American and 1 in Ballots are tossed then 9% of the Ballots were tossed ones from African Americans.

What? You are making some assumptions about the voting distribution and demographics, when we already know that's false (older voters go to the polls more than younger voters based on voter registration (age), which does not include race.

[Bob]

But if you are African American you are more likely to have your vote tossed. Don't look at me look at the stats. In America the AA population is around 12% yet they make up over half of all votes that are tossed.

I think the more honest way to portray this is that if you're not an American, you're more likely to have your vote tossed. Considering the fact that most people who come to America illegally aren't regarded as white, why is this surprising?

[Keepitsimple]

The only relevant thing about this thread is why these students are voting so early. These kids were voting 9 days before the first advance poll. If legal, it seems pretty dumb as there are so many things that can happen in this election between now and then. Can anyone shed some light on why these students HAVE to vote so far ahead of everyone else? From Elections Canada:

The election was called for May 2, 2011. What are the implications of this date on the election calendar and the timing of advance polls?

A federal general election was called for May 2, 2011. The Canada Elections Act says that advance polls must be held the 10th, 9th, and 7th days before election day. As a result, advance polls coincide with Passover and the Easter weekend: April 22 (Friday), April 23 (Saturday), and April 25 (Monday).

Link: http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=faq&document=faqvoting〈=e#a5a

[punked]

The only relevant thing about this thread is why these students are voting so early. These kids were voting 9 days before the first advance poll. If legal, it seems pretty dumb as there are so many things that can happen in this election between now and then. Can anyone shed some light on why these students HAVE to vote so far ahead of everyone else? From Elections Canada:

Link: http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=faq&document=faqvoting〈=e#a5a

Because school is closing now and they want to vote in the ridding they live in for most of the year. Just as if I was to leave my ridding today for an extended period of time I would vote early.

[Shady]

Because school is closing now and they want to vote in the ridding they live in for most of the year. Just as if I was to leave my ridding today for an extended period of time I would vote early.

They should vote in the riding where they're from, not where they go to school.

[Shady]

Have the Democrats? Right now there seems to be something going on in WI with some Republican who has "Found" 20,000 more voted in almost every election in the last 4 years then their were voters. So don't tell me about Democrats Shady. BTW I think the last person found guilty of voter fraud in the US was Republican right?

That's complete nonsense. Nate Silver from The New York Times has debunked that myth aleady.

[punked]

That's complete nonsense. Nate Silver from The New York Times has debunked that myth aleady.

He didn't debunk the myth that votes seem to just "Appear" under this Republican constantly Shady I am not talking about this election I am talking about that other ones. So please don't lie.

[Bryan]

The only relevant thing about this thread is why these students are voting so early. These kids were voting 9 days before the first advance poll.

THAT is the real story. If the CPC campaign worker was objecting to the polling, it sure as hell had nothing to do with the fact that students were voting, it's that what the University of Guelph (which has a track record for anti-Conservative activism) did was highly irregular, and potentially illegal.

Elections Canada also has a track record of looking the other way when such irregularities happen. The parties have scrutineers at the polls for a reason, and one of their jobs is to put a stop to polling that is being conducted in an irregular manner. I've done the scrutineering at the polls before. We made sure we had people supervising the whole process, and some of us actually did have to do exactly what Michael Sona did: block access to the ballot box and call in a complaint to Elections Canada.

[Moonlight Graham]

It can't be figured out, because it's complete nonsense. Just more Harper/Bush Derangement Syndrome.

You has Shady Derangement Syndrome.

[Harry]

Harper should blame the ballot box caper on Ignatieff.

[Harry]

So that explains it.

About that Conservative ballot-box grab in Guelph…

Michael Sona is no longer the communications director for the Conservative candidate in Guelph. He never really was. We think he was always a Liberal. We've checked and he was wearing a red T-shirt in a picture on his Facebook page. Obviously a Grit. We don't know why the Liberals tried to grab the ballot box in Guelph today. What's Ignatieff thinking? This isn't how democracy is done in this country. It may have something to do with his Maoist past.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/silver-powers/about-that-conservative-ballot-box-grab-in-guelph/article1986324/

[Smallc]

I have another question. Why does Harper eat babies?

[blueblood]

I have another question. Why does Harper eat babies?

Really tender meat...

Why does ignatieff drink blood and is afraid of garlic?

Why does layton sell used cars and computer programs?

Why does duceppe guide santa's sleigh on christmas eve?

Edited April 15, 2011 by blueblood

[Saipan]

Harper should blame the ballot box caper on Ignatieff.

No need.

Ignatieff is doing pretty good job

[Bryan]

I have another question. Why does Harper eat babies?

Get it straight, he eats kittens.

Here he is right before lunch:

http://www.dailyseagull.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/stephen-harper-kitten1.jpg

[Handsome Rob]

So that explains it.

Please tell me you are reading the sarcasm displayed here....?

[Harry]

So I guess the plan is to disenfranchise students from voting so that the Harper Conservatives will win the seat. Not a bad plan, and sounds like something right out the Republican play book.

[youshouldknowbetter]

The reason that politicians are not showing a genuine interest in students is because they don't show up their radar. They are not in the working middle class who would benefit from childcare or home renovation initiatives. Nor are they in the high income bracket that might take a keen interest in lower taxes or income-splitting. They are not even in the most vulnerable categories that would feel the effects of the strengthening of the social safety net. For the most part, university students are dependents who will not feel the effects of any policy unless it is filtered through their parents or guardians. That's why, for example, the Liberal party would introduce the $1,000 per-year incentive to all high school students who qualify to go to university. That policy has nothing to do with students. It has everything to do with the parents who foot the bill for their kids' education.

Let's be honest: Students didn't become interested in the political system so much as politics made its way in to social media. Once their language was being spoken, the students' sense of entitlement kicked in. For years, voter turnout in all elections by those 18-25 has been abysmal. Now, all of a sudden, when our nation's “leaders of tomorrow” found out from Twitter that there was a general election going on, they expect all of the major parties to drop everything to accommodate them? Not so fast. When they can demonstrate that they are independent members of society who might do their due diligence on all of the parties and the issues involved, only then can they expect the party leaders to talk to them. Students can take a step in the right direction by casting a ballot on May 2nd if they aspire to one day be taken seriously.

[Harry]

So Yvonne and her fellow students at Guelph U are going to be quite crushed when they discover Harper has tried to void their vote. It seems only when they can control it does democracy work for the Conservatives. Does Harper have no shame?

Just voted: A column from a ‘yes woman’

Answering no to the question, ‘Are you voting?’ is no longer socially acceptable.

We have reached a critical mass and voting fever is sweeping the nation. Red, Blue, French, Orange or Green – it doesn’t matter. What we care about is an active democracy and a united Canada.

Now some people may shrug me off as an idealistic youth. But if university has taught me anything it is to back up your argument. So, here we go:

Within two weeks, over 30 campuses and communities across Canada have signed up to host vote mobs. Our very own University of Guelph kicked it off with a vote mob on March 31st to celebrate the election by producing an educational music video to the Dog Days are Over. That was soon followed by a ‘Surprise Harper’ event on April 4, to inform leaders that young people will be voting this time around. Since then, University of Victoria, McMaster University, University of Ottawa, Memorial University, University of Calgary, and University of Northern British Columbia have picked it up. A vote mob with over 1,000 (the biggest vote mob yet) students will be taking place on Thursday at McGill and many more have been planned. This movement is growing and it’s growing fast. Young people are passionate about the vote – just ask the ballot box.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Elections Canada hosted a poll station at the University Centre, at U of G, for students to vote with a special ballot. When the station was set up, staffers were so overwhelmed with the number of students who showed up, they had to officially extend the poll an additional four hours. Even when I cast my vote, at 7:30p.m., there remained students in line with their textbooks in hand.

This time around, it’s all action. We’re not just talking about it. We are mobilizing on our campuses and in our communities; we are hosting voter socials; and we are casting our ballots in advance.

Get ready, Canada - youth are changing this one.

http://www.guelphmercury.com/opinion/columns/article/516819--just-voted-a-column-from-a-yes-woman

[Smallc]

Get it straight, he eats kittens.

My bad.

[scribblet]

Harper is sounding more and more like George Bush every day.

Your title of the thread is misleading..it appears that there were some shenanigans going on there, they had every right to try to correct the situation, and are legally. The party has written to EC and those nice little socialists don't like silly rules getting in their way.

http://guelphmercury.blogs.com/files/letter-to-p.-boutet-dated-april-14-2011.pdf

Given the poisoned liberal atmosphere on university campuses these days it is difficult to imagine that any balloting in such a place would be conducted in a fair manner.

[scribblet]

They should vote in the riding where they're from, not where they go to school.

Agreed, unless they won't be there during the voting times. I would question the legality of the thing, but I EC must have given permission. It's a mob thing....