# Canadopers: Official Election Day Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 23, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244 "2006-01-23T14:09:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/21 "2006-01-24T03:20:28Z")
Everybody keep your fingers crossed for **matt\_mcl** and the Jeanne-le-Ber riding! ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/22 "2006-01-24T03:38:12Z")
_twitch_ CTV.ca and CBC.ca are both down. I guess I have to turn on the TV. Apparently CBC.ca already announced Harper as Prime Minister - with only the Maritime votes. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/23 "2006-01-24T03:51:53Z")
> [@lexi](#): > > \ > Or was the loon Rob Anders - I hear he’s always saying loony things like Nelson Mandella is a terrorist. > > I am 5th generation Saskatchewan dirt farmer on one side and pro-labour Irish Imigrant on the other - so I think my blood is orange and voting any other way isn’t even imaginable. Good guess (but incorrect) - my husband went to Uni with Rob Anders, and practically spits on the ground every time his name is mentioned. No, I voted for our local [Canadian Action Party](http://www.paulgrignon.netfirms.com/CanadianActionParty/homepage.html) candidate. You know, I thought about voting NDP, but I am also from Saskatchewan, and I don’t believe the NDP are friends of the working class, which I am destined to be for the rest of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/24 "2006-01-24T04:03:03Z")
How does it work (asks the pollworker who has to contend with a 16-hour day with the Gray Hulkin’ Shoup Shoup Multi-levered Machines o’ Freedom)? How long is the ballot and what kind of machines do you use, or it it a pin system? Do different ridings have different machines and methods? How many offices are you voting for and do the mayors try to sneak all sorts of referenda and initiatives on there? Good luck to _insert reader’s candidate here!_ He/she is the best man/woman for the job!! ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/25 "2006-01-24T04:15:28Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > Everybody keep your fingers crossed for **matt\_mcl** and the Jeanne-le-Ber riding! Political bio and pic: [http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/058/](http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/058/) Results: [http://www.ctv.ca/mini/election2006/directfeed/ridings/riding24024.html](http://www.ctv.ca/mini/election2006/directfeed/ridings/riding24024.html) I find it remarkable that Matt had sex with 10% of the voters in his riding. Yay Matt! ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/26 "2006-01-24T04:15:36Z")
> [@Mehitabel](#): > > How does it work (asks the pollworker who has to contend with a 16-hour day with the Gray Hulkin’ Shoup Shoup Multi-levered Machines o’ Freedom)? How long is the ballot and what kind of machines do you use, or it it a pin system? Do different ridings have different machines and methods? How many offices are you voting for and do the mayors try to sneak all sorts of referenda and initiatives on there? > > Good luck to _insert reader’s candidate here!_ He/she is the best man/woman for the job!! Ha, interesting you should ask. A voter receives a ballot that is about maybe 3 1/2 by 5 inches. One walks over to the “booth” which is commonly a wooden table with a cardboard construct around it; one picks up a pencil; and then one x’es the candidate of choice. That’s it. Results come in the same night, and we’re done. In Canada we only vote for our own constituency. The national leader, the Prime Minister, is the leader of the party that comes out on top. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/27 "2006-01-24T04:19:54Z")
As of right now, with 65 of 232 polls reporting in Jeanne-Le Ber, **matt\_mcl** is fourth with 10.1% of the vote. Liberal Liza Frulla has lost her seat to the Bloc. [More here](http://www.ctv.ca/mini/election2006/preelections/riding24024.html). ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/28 "2006-01-24T04:23:04Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > I find it remarkable that Matt had sex with 10% of the voters in his riding. I hear he had sex with someone in Westmount - Ville-Marie too. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/29 "2006-01-24T04:23:32Z")
> [@Mehitabel](#): > > How does it work (asks the pollworker who has to contend with a 16-hour day with the Gray Hulkin’ Shoup Shoup Multi-levered Machines o’ Freedom)? How long is the ballot and what kind of machines do you use, or it it a pin system? Do different ridings have different machines and methods? How many offices are you voting for and do the mayors try to sneak all sorts of referenda and initiatives on there? > > Good luck to _insert reader’s candidate here!_ He/she is the best man/woman for the job!! The federal election is run by the independent Elections Canada. EC is completely independent from provincial or municipal elections–different people, different days, different everything. It is completely standardised across the country. EC maintains a national list of electors. In each ‘riding’ (electoral district), there is only one choice to make, from a single selection of candidates. You are choosing one candidate, to represent you in your riding. The candidate with the most votes at the end of the day wins the seat. The party with the most number of seats forms the government. The leader of that party automatically becomes the Prime Minister\*. (There is no separate election for PM.) The ballot is a piece of paper with names and party affiliations down the left and empty circles down the right. When you go to vote, you show your voter’s card or ID at the polling station, they cross your name off the voter’s list, and hand you a fiolded ballot. You take the ballot to the voting booth, which is a desk with a hooded cover. Inside there is a pencil. You sit down, unfold the ballot, mark one X in the circle next to the name of the candidate you choose, and fold it back up. You return to the person who gave you the ballot, and give the folded ballot back to him/her. He or she tears off a strip (as a control that the ballot has been used, I think), and hands it back to you, still folded. You put it in the ballot box. Afterward, they count them all. 🙂 [sub]\*Technically, the leader of the party with the most seats indicates that he or she can command the confidence of the Commons, and is therefore the best candidate for the Governor-General to select as government leader. This is another one of those Westminster things that is so bound by custom that you Just Don’t Do It Another Way.)[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/30 "2006-01-24T04:30:07Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I voted for a local lunatic. It was a protest vote. Who is the Independant from Ontario they were referring to as a shock jock? (I’m watching CBC coverage.) Heh, bet I’m the last person you thought would be watching this live, huh? 😛 Secondary question, what is the NDP? I’ve seen them mentioned in our paper, but not familiar with what the acronym means, much less their platform. Any quick breakdown of the platform? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/31 "2006-01-24T04:37:01Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Secondary question, what is the NDP? I’ve seen them mentioned in our paper, but not familiar with what the acronym means, much less their platform. Any quick breakdown of the platform? Thanks. [New Democratic Party](http://www.ndp.ca/) In my days in Toronto in the 70’s, they were vaguely socialist. Judging by the parts of their platform that aren’t simply bashing the Liberal Party, they still are. I would most likely be a member of the NDP if I were Canadian, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/32 "2006-01-24T04:43:37Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Who is the Independant from Ontario they were referring to as a shock jock? (I’m watching CBC coverage.) He’s from Quebec and his name is [Andre Arthur](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Arthur) ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/33 "2006-01-24T04:45:03Z")
Thanks. And yes, I’m not so American that I didn’t know how the PM is chosen, and that virtually nobody votes directly for him/her (OK, him). But it seems like a huge effort to mobilize 25 million voters for one single office, and have to do it twice in 18 months. And the central government having sole control over the election is a bit spooky too, but I guess it works for you. Who vets the people who run the elections and count the ballots? We have to have an = number of Repubs and Dems at each machine; and I wonder if certain groups tend to get left off that “national lists” of voters… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/34 "2006-01-24T04:48:04Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Who is the Independant from Ontario they were referring to as a shock jock? (I’m watching CBC coverage.) > > Heh, bet I’m the last person you thought would be watching this live, huh? 😛 > Secondary question, what is the NDP? I’ve seen them mentioned in our paper, but not familiar with what the acronym means, much less their platform. Any quick breakdown of the platform? Thanks. NDP = [New Democratic Party](http://www.ndp.ca/). Democratic socialist. [Arose](http://www.ndp.ca/ourhistory) out of a populist movement, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, on the Prairies sixty years ago. Tommy Douglas, the first leader of the NDP, helped introduce national universal health insurance. > [@The NDP website's history](#): > > Tommy Douglas and the formation of the NDP > > At the founding convention of the New Democratic Party in 1961, Thomas Clement (T.C.) Douglas was chosen as its leader. From 1944 to 1961, Douglas served as Premier of Saskatchewan, the first social democratic government elected in North America. > > Douglas’ working-class and religious family provided a strong background for both his politics and his faith. His family left Scotland and settled in Winnipeg in 1919 where Douglas witnessed the Winnipeg General Strike that year. Leaving school at the age of 14, Douglas began a printer’s apprenticeship, then became involved in church work and in 1924 decided to enter the ministry. He was at Brandon College for six years and it was there that he was exposed to the Social Gospel. > > When Douglas moved to Weyburn, Saskatchewan, following his ordination in 1930, he found much suffering caused by the depression and drought. Douglas soon became involved in ministering to people’s physical as well as spiritual needs. His studies, along with his experience of the Depression of the 1930s, led him to conclude that political action was necessary to alleviate human suffering. > > In 1931 he helped form a local association of the Independent Labour Party, and two years later he attended the founding convention of the new Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. Douglas ran unsuccessfully in the 1934 Saskatchewan election. Friends then convinced him that he should be a CCF candidate in the federal election of 1935. This time he was successful. > > The Second World War further entrenched Douglas’ convictions. Although he heard it repeatedly argued by Liberals and Conservatives that money could not be found to put people to work during the Depression, money was found to finance a war. > > During his first two terms in Parliament, Douglas earned a reputation as a skillful and witty debater. He claimed as his constituency the underprivileged and exploited and he often took unpopular stands in defence of civil liberties, including opposition to the internment of Japanese-Canadians. > > In 1944 Douglas resigned his federal seat to lead the Saskatchewan provincial party in the successful general election campaign. > > As Premier of the province for the next 17 years, he became a symbol of what social democracy promised. His government was innovative and efficient, balanced the budget each and every year, and pioneered many programs that would later be replicated others, notably in the field of social services. > > Douglas was elected the first federal leader of the NDP because of his success in Saskatchewan and because he was universally regarded as the left’s most eloquent spokesperson. He was able to inspire and motivate Party workers and he could also explain social democracy in practical, moral, and ethical terms. > > Douglas was defeated in the federal election of 1962, due largely to a doctors’ led backlash at the time against the Saskatchewan NDP government’s introduction of Medicare… > > In 2004, nearly twenty years after his death, Tommy Douglas was voted “The Greatest Canadian” in a national CBC Television contest. Among the nominees who Douglas edged out for the title were Lester Pearson, Pierre Trudeau and Terry Fox. My family were NDPers from way back–my grandfather ran for provincial parliament back in the fifties. My mom worked for Ed Broadbent in the seventies. My grandfather and Tommy Douglas both lived in Weyburn in the thirties–I wonder whether they know each other. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/35 "2006-01-24T05:18:37Z")
> [@Mehitabel](#): > > Thanks. And yes, I’m not so American that I didn’t know how the PM is chosen, and that virtually nobody votes directly for him/her (OK, him). But it seems like a huge effort to mobilize 25 million voters for one single office, and have to do it twice in 18 months. And the central government having sole control over the election is a bit spooky too, but I guess it works for you. Who vets the people who run the elections and count the ballots? We have to have an = number of Repubs and Dems at each machine; and I wonder if certain groups tend to get left off that “national lists” of voters… Well, we’re not actually voting for a single office. We’re voting for 308 of them. No, on the whole it is safe to say that Canadians aren’t thrilled about having this election come relatively after the last election. As to the “central governmenthaving sole control over the election”, [here](http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=eca&document=abo&lang=e&textonly=false) is a link to an FAQ about Elections Canada from their website. As you’ll note they are an independent body established by Parliament who have a number of responsibilities that include administration of the election process. Elections Canada is not driven by political parties. At polling stations, political parties do have an opportunity to have members there. In my experience they are unobtrusive, and many voters would not know who they are as compared to actual polling clerks. And at least in the last few decades our elections are held, counted, and we’re done, all in one night. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/36 "2006-01-24T05:40:58Z")
Hmmm…the DeLay-controlled Congress appointing the commission that oversees the elections and then claiming that it’s non-political…makes me shudder a bit but hey, the Canadopers surely would be the first ones to call shenanigans if Elections Canada starting screwing around with the system, so I’ll just chalk it up to odd but harmless cultural differences, like selling milk in bags. Which, BTW, they don’t do in Cape Breton, I was there last summer and looked. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/37 "2006-01-24T06:38:45Z")
Voting was uneventful for me this morning–did it on the way to work. It was at an elementary school, so the little kids were cute, looking up at all the big strangers wandering in. The results? I voted for a winner in my riding. I wish I’d known ahead of time that he’d win, because then I could have voted my conscience, which would be NDP or Green. Overall, Prime Minister Stevougk adakasuam ajdhaar rpe :eek: See, I can’t even say it. It’s just so… wrong. Oh, well. It’s a minority government, so maybe we’ll be doing it all again in a year and a half. ---
**Author:** ![Sgt.Pepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sgt.Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sgt.Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/38 "2006-01-24T13:13:53Z")
That’s the second reference I’ve seen to milk in bags up here. Is that not common in down south? What is it cartons for small amounts and jugs for larger? Pretty weird. You’d think packaging would be universal by now. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/39 "2006-01-24T15:28:57Z")
When there’s 300 million of them and 30 million of us we’re the statistical outlier. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244/40 "2006-01-24T16:28:07Z")
> [@detop](#): > > The Canadian Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) ? Nope, amazingly enough, those are two separate parties. ([Here](http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=pol&dir=par&document=index&lang=e&textonly=false) is a list of all registered parties in Canada. ) I keep hoping to see an all-candidates meeting where one of each turns up, they can either explain the difference, or get tangled up in subtle philosophical debates with each other. I had one of each in my riding but only the Marxist-Leninist came to the all-candidate’s meetings. He comes to all of them. (I never saw the Conservative guy at any.) I love election day. I love lining up with my immediate neighbours to fill in forms and moan about line-ups. I love the political satire shows. (Did you see the one where they announced Prime Minister Gilles Duceppe? It was hilarious. The actor was like, “Who knew? Well … what do I do now?”) Did you see what Belinda said about Harper on 22 Minutes? Something about viagara, and how he should be worrying about his ELection … funny stuff. Don Cherry was appalling. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had political ambitions (I don’t really follow his career so I don’t know if he has announced such a thing.) He’s terrible. I’d vote for Ron McLean in a minute, though. I love the Toronto NDP ladies. Marilyn Churley, Olivia Chow, Peggy Nash. All potent women. I’m sorry Marilyn lost - but she did lose to a formidable Toronto Liberal lady, so I can’t really complain. I love Bill Graham. John Cleese will play him in the movies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadopers-official-election-day-thread/341244.md?page=3)