Minorities and polling stations

[Leafless]

I don't know about you but the polling station I voted in was staffed by a disproportionate number of ethnic Canadians.

In fact I felt uncomfortable to the point I was not sure this was Canada. In fact if this is the type of representation we can expect to receive in the future I might not vote at all.

Did you experience this?

[Shakeyhands]

I don't know about you but the polling station I voted in was staffed by a disproportionate number of ethnic Canadians.

In fact I felt uncomfortable to the point I was not sure this was Canada. In fact if this is the type of representation we can expect to receive in the future I might not vote at all.

Did you experience this?

Are you serious?

[geoffrey]

I don't know about you but the polling station I voted in was staffed by a disproportionate number of ethnic Canadians.

In fact I felt uncomfortable to the point I was not sure this was Canada. In fact if this is the type of representation we can expect to receive in the future I might not vote at all.

Did you experience this?

100% white people at my polling station.

If I walked in to a place that was disproportionately run my minorities I'd feel the same. I don't know how justified this is, but I definitely understand where your coming from.

[Argus]

I don't know about you but the polling station I voted in was staffed by a disproportionate number of ethnic Canadians.

In fact I felt uncomfortable to the point I was not sure this was Canada. In fact if this is the type of representation we can expect to receive in the future I might not vote at all.

Did you experience this?

Who was your sitting MP? In some ridings ethnics have been known to swarm the riding in support of this or that ethnic. The previous members generally leave in disgust, leaving a riding association mainly made up of that ethnic group. I believe that it is from among the riding associations that the people who staff the polling stations are drawn. This is especially so if the riding is government controlled and the MP is ethnic who won the party candidacy by his own "people" swarming the association.

[YankAbroad]

I walked into my local voting booth in 2004, and imagine my surprise to see Americans everywhere.

EVERYWHERE.

No Canadians, no Britons, just Americans. And mostly heterosexual ones too.

It's clearly an effort to intimidate me from going to the polls.

We must stop this outrage.

[geoffrey]

I walked into my local voting booth in 2004, and imagine my surprise to see Americans everywhere.

EVERYWHERE.

No Canadians, no Britons, just Americans. And mostly heterosexual ones too.

It's clearly an effort to intimidate me from going to the polls.

We must stop this outrage.

I'm ok with having people on average representative of the community. But Argus raises a valid point. You get these riding stormers that just all crowd around a like ethnic candidate and you end up with a very unrepresented majority.

Last time I check that majority thing meant something in democracy? It's nice when minorities get represented and all that, but not at the expense of the majority population.

[wellandboy]

I had 7 polls in St. Catharines Ontario. The staffing reflected a fair cross section of population in Niagara.

[Drea]

White skin = real Canadian

Dark skin = ethnic Canadian

What the heck are you palefaces so scared of?

For goodness sake.

If the damn lazy white people would get off their butts and VOTE, perhaps the voice of the majority (if indeed the majority are whities) would be heard.

[Shakeyhands]

I wish this concern had come out BEFORE the election... please don't live up to stereotypes guys... please.

[sage]

White skin = real Canadian

Dark skin = ethnic Canadian

What the heck are you palefaces so scared of?

For goodness sake.

If the damn lazy white people would get off their butts and VOTE, perhaps the voice of the majority (if indeed the majority are whities) would be heard.

Unfortunately I agree with Drea.

I understand what Argus is saying, but I don't think its that commonplace for there to be a concerted effort on the part of minorities to hijack the electoral process.

Calm me naive, but I would assume for lots of immigrants that they don't have such an open democratic process in their homeland so they tend to actually take this seriously, unlike alot of those Canadian born.

[Madman]

In fact if this is the type of representation we can expect to receive in the future I might not vote at all.

Good

[Black Dog]

I don't know about you but the polling station I voted in was staffed by a disproportionate number of ethnic Canadians.

In fact I felt uncomfortable to the point I was not sure this was Canada. In fact if this is the type of representation we can expect to receive in the future I might not vote at all.

Did you experience this?

Didn't notice. But then, I don't tend to notice such things.

And I would also strongly encourage you not to vote in future elections.

Who was your sitting MP? In some ridings ethnics have been known to swarm the riding in support of this or that ethnic. The previous members generally leave in disgust, leaving a riding association mainly made up of that ethnic group. I believe that it is from among the riding associations that the people who staff the polling stations are drawn. This is especially so if the riding is government controlled and the MP is ethnic who won the party candidacy by his own "people" swarming the association.

Nope. People who work at polling stations are volunteers. I imagine areas with a high percentage of "ethnic" residents will have a representative ethnic background.

But really: why the fuck does the ethnic background of the person who hands you your ballot matter a whit?

[Hicksey]

I walked into my local voting booth in 2004, and imagine my surprise to see Americans everywhere.

EVERYWHERE.

No Canadians, no Britons, just Americans. And mostly heterosexual ones too.

It's clearly an effort to intimidate me from going to the polls.

We must stop this outrage.

I'll give credit where its due here. That was a good one!

[Argus]

Who was your sitting MP? In some ridings ethnics have been known to swarm the riding in support of this or that ethnic. The previous members generally leave in disgust, leaving a riding association mainly made up of that ethnic group. I believe that it is from among the riding associations that the people who staff the polling stations are drawn. This is especially so if the riding is government controlled and the MP is ethnic who won the party candidacy by his own "people" swarming the association.

Nope. People who work at polling stations are volunteers. I imagine areas with a high percentage of "ethnic" residents will have a representative ethnic background.

Yes, but it would surprise me if, given my area is 80% White, all the workers at the polling stations were non-white. As for volunteers, yes, volunteers which, I believe, are supplied by the local riding associations, always two from two different parties at each table. I won't bet the house on that, but I believe it to be the case. Elections Canada doesn't go searching in bars and shopping malls for volunteers and I don't know how one would even go about approaching them. My mother was once one of those door to door registration people (who get paid, btw) and that was because she worked for an MP.

But really: why the fuck does the ethnic background of the person who hands you your ballot matter a whit?

I wonder if you'd ask that if you were in a downtown Toronto poll and all the workers were white.

[BubberMiley]

My polling station was staffed almost entirely with white christian freaks. Thank god my weed was extra stinky cause they can really kill a buzz.

[Leafless]

Argus

You wrote- " Yes, but it would surprise me given my area is 80% White, and all the workers at the polling station are non-white."

This is what happens any time you ask a reasonable question is raised such as this one concerning a disproportionate number of ethnic workers in relation to the general population of Canada , you are labelled a bigot.

The point of the matter is under the conditions of voting for a prime minister in your country Canada you could or you might feel a certain degree of intimidation or just plain uncomfortable when the staff at the polling station is over represented by ethnic Canadians and you happen to be White especially if you have an ethnic gang type problem in that area.

But Argus brings up a good point and that is does anyone know what exactly what is the criteria and qualifications necessary concerning the recruiting of polling station personnel and obviously ethnic representation has a bearing.

[Melanie_]

Leafless, get a grip. Skin colour has nothing to do with someone's right to participate in the electoral process, either as a candidate or working at a polling station. I can't believe someone would even notice such a thing. Why don't you try seeing people as individuals, rather than as representatives of their ethnic group?

I love your "logic", Argus: when whites go out to vote, they are participating in the process, but when visible minorities go out to vote, they are swarming the process. Heaven forbid we should treat them as equal.

[August1991]

What a thread.

I liked these comments:

My polling station was staffed almost entirely with white christian freaks. Thank god my weed was extra stinky cause they can really kill a buzz.

I walked into my local voting booth in 2004, and imagine my surprise to see Americans everywhere.

EVERYWHERE.

No Canadians, no Britons, just Americans. And mostly heterosexual ones too.

It's clearly an effort to intimidate me from going to the polls.

We must stop this outrage.

There's a more serious point here. Paid staff at the polling stations are suggested by the winning candidate in the previous election. Elections Canada staff are often "political" appointees too. The only thing keeping these people in check are unpaid party scrutineers.

In many ridings in Canada, there were only two people sitting at the polling desk and only two people counted the ballots. One was a person named by the Liberal Party, and the other was a person named by Elections Canada (often a Liberal too).

Appointed by Governor in Council, a federal returning officer is responsible, under the general supervision of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, for the preparation and conduct of an election in his or her electoral district.

E-C

A person wishing to become an election officer or a member of the staff of a returning officer must contact the returning officer for his or her electoral district or the local associations of the registered political parties whose candidates finished first or second in the previous election in the electoral district.

E-C

[geoffrey]

Leafless, get a grip. Skin colour has nothing to do with someone's right to participate in the electoral process, either as a candidate or working at a polling station. I can't believe someone would even notice such a thing. Why don't you try seeing people as individuals, rather than as representatives of their ethnic group?

I love your "logic", Argus: when whites go out to vote, they are participating in the process, but when visible minorities go out to vote, they are swarming the process. Heaven forbid we should treat them as equal.

In an area that is mostly white, I'd assume that mostly white people would be employed by Elections Canada. If not, I feel we need affirmative action, and retribution payments.

Thats what minorities get when the number employed isn't exact what it is in the larger demographic.

[mar]

I don't know about you but the polling station I voted in was staffed by a disproportionate number of ethnic Canadians.

In fact I felt uncomfortable to the point I was not sure this was Canada. In fact if this is the type of representation we can expect to receive in the future I might not vote at all.

Did you experience this?

Why precisely did you feel uncomfortable? Are you saying merely being in the presence of non-caucasians makes you uncomfortable? You said "staffed" so the complaint is, what? That causasians should only have to hand their ballots to other caucasians? Is that what you're actually saying?

And for those suggesting the fact they are there means they are "hijacking the election process' what is that about? Simple solution. Volunteer and get your white ass down there next election (which can't come too soon if this view represents dominant Conservative opinion).

[BubberMiley]

The Libs would have won a majority if the Leaflesses in the CPC were allowed to speak in the past eight weeks.

[Argus]

I love your "logic", Argus: when whites go out to vote, they are participating in the process, but when visible minorities go out to vote, they are swarming the process. Heaven forbid we should treat them as equal.

They don't act as equal. I don't know if you ever watch the news, if you've ever participated in or even see on the news the kinds of ethnic swarmings that happen during candidate selections. You'll have a riding association with, say, 200 members, all set to nominate a candidate. An indian guy (or Chinese, or Sikh or Tamil or whatever) joins, and then goes out into his community and signs up three or four hundred of "his" people, often by using various promises, or paying for them. These people swarm into the riding association and vote for their guy, for no reason other than he is one of "them". It's blatantly racist, but is never, ever criticised as that. Imagine a bunch of Whites rushing to join a riding assocation in order to vote for the White guy! What a scandal! There'd be riots from the anti-racism folks!

When it really gets interesting is when you have two different kinds of ethnics. Then you really have a fight as they and their supporters scream and yell and mob each other and try to block each others members on one pretext or another, and basically, whichever has signed up the most of "their" people, gets the nomination. Often as not, reporters questioning these "new members" find many who don't know anything about the party, or about politics, can't speak English, and have only the smallest idea what is going on. You don't have to be a citizen in order to join, nor 18 years of age (so whole familes turn up), nor do you have to be able to speak English/French.

You want me to say this is the same as White people, who by and large, will join a party only if they're strong supporters of that party, and thoughtfully judge the possible candidates and vote for whichever they think is right to be their representative?

[BubberMiley]

I don't know if you ever watch the news, if you've ever participated in or even see on the news the kinds of ethnic swarmings that happen during candidate selections.

Were there reports of "ethnic swarmings" in this election?

[mar]

God! My grandmother was a party worker many years ago for the Conservatives and not one of the more enlightened voices of her generation. She used to tell me about all these immigrants they would encounter while campaigning and how all of them would just vote Liberal because that's who was in power when they came to Canada and how they all stuck together and whoever their "bosses" (whoever they were?) decided they would vote for that's who they all voted for and how they would be paid to vote a certain way. Only thing was this was a long time ago and the immigrants she was talking about were Ukranians and Italians and Jews and whoever else was coming in at that time when non-caucasian immigration was rarer.

Same bigotry, two generations away. So have "we" whoever "we" are, accepted the Italians and Jews and Ukranians yet? Can they volunteer at polling stations without making "us" uncomfortable?

This is like the twi-lite zone. I know I'm from the same country as some of you but I feel like one of us is from Mars. I mean we're not talking politics here, we're talking how we see the world.

[BubberMiley]

But mar, don't you get it? They look different and some of them even talk different.