New Voter Rules - Canada

[WhiskeyGirl]

If Canada can do it, why not the US? 

Take ID when you vote

Nic Price, Burnaby Now
Published: Saturday, October 11, 2008

Elections Canada is reminding voters not to get caught out on Tuesday, as voter laws have changed since last election.

Voters must now prove their identity and address before they cast their ballot.

Susan Friend of Elections Canada urged people to remember the new rules and go prepared, but she said most people would be able to vote without fuss.

"There might be some delay because people aren't used to it yet. It is a little extra process, but it's minimal. You only have to take your ID out. We expect things to go smoothly," she said.

Friend said election officials have the power to challenge voters to prove their identity and address, and a wide range of identification is acceptable.

There are three options for voters looking to prove their identity and address:

- Show a driver's licence or provincial/territorial identification card with photo, name and address.

- Provide two original pieces of identification authorized by the chief electoral officer of Canada. Both pieces must contain your name, and one must also contain your address.

Allowable identity cards include: health card, Social Insurance Number card, birth certificate, passport, credit/debit card, library card, student ID and more.

Approved documents (containing name and address) include: bank/credit card statements; utility bill; school, college or university report card or transcript; insurance policy; and more.

- You can be vouched for by an elector whose name appears on the list of electors in the same polling division and who has acceptable identification. Both of you are required to make a sworn statement. An elector cannot vouch for more than one person, and the person who has been vouched for cannot vouch for another elector.

For more information about the new voter rules go to www.elections.ca.

People can still register to vote right up to, and including, polling day. Voting will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and people must vote at their assigned poll station.

http://www.canada.com/burnabynow/news/story.html?id=257f836d-df1e-48ae-b9a3-fd0316b452a4

Is integrity at the polling place important to politicians in the U.S.?

IMHO, I think it has fallen by the wayside...

[WhiskeyGirl]

Ex-pat Canadians angry about vote restrictions

Duncan Mavin, Financial Post 
Published: Tuesday, October 14, 2008

HONG KONG - Hundreds of thousands of Canadians working overseas failed to cast a ballot in today's Federal election because of voter registration laws that unfairly punish expatriate workers, say some foreign-based Canadians.

Expat workers in locations like Hong Kong, New York or London, can not vote if their work outside Canada keeps them away from their homeland for more than five years. Those away for less than five years can vote only if they state an intention to return to Canada - a declaration that could lead to a costly tax treatment.

"There are a number of us who are concerned," said David Armitage, a governor of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. "I would like Revenue Canada to come out and say Canadians living abroad can register to vote without having it impact their tax status," he added.

Canadians who go on long-term work assignments abroad can pay taxes in their destination rather than in Canada, if they break residency with their home country. That can mean they pay lower taxes than in Canada, but often their savings are limited because the cost of living in places like Hong Kong or London is considerably higher than in Canadian cities. By stating an intention to return to Canada - required for anyone wishing to vote - they risk the double whammy of high taxes and high living costs.

"Anything that might bring someone under the Canadian tax system while living in Hong Kong would be devastating [and] would likely force a family here into bankruptcy" said a Canadian. Hong Kong residents pay only about 16% in income taxes, but rent for a modest apartment can be several times higher than in any Canadian city.

(snip)

There has even been some discussion among Hong Kong's sizeable expat community of calling for specific representation in parliament for overseas Canadians, following the model in Italy.

(snip)

"If Canadians abroad don't pay taxes in Canada then they shouldn't have the right to vote," said Richard Wright, a Canadian in the communications industry who has been in Hong Kong for several years. "I'm quite political when I'm back in Canada, but if I want to vote there I should pay taxes."

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/election-2008/story.html?id=879674

I wonder if that five year rule would work for Americans?  Should people who have never lived in the US, or have no intention of returned to the US be voting?