# Alberta troops can't vote in civic election



## Bin-Rat (1 Oct 2010)

Morning All, 
I am not sure if this is right section, was debating if in here, Afghanistan, and or political, 
So please move to the thread/area you think it would be best in

Thanks..

Well it's not that they Can't Vote titles a little Misleading, it's just the way the elections is setup, as in person or mail in, except the time to get ballots to Afghan, find the Personal, get them time to cast ballot, and then actually getting it back to the elections committee, takes a heck of a lot longer then the time allowed.. So, they Can vote, just won't be able to due to the mail express, delayed delivery times

News Link here for Rest of Story

Quote
"CALGARY - They're supplied with the bullets and rifles to defend democracy, but not the ballots to take part in elections back home.

If anyone should be marking an 'X' on Oct.18, it's the hundreds of Alberta soldiers serving in Afghanistan, risking snipers and bombs to establish democracy for citizens of a former dictatorship.

People in that war-torn country can cast ballots because Canadian soldiers are there to protect their fragile democracy. But somehow, those wearing the Maple Leaf have no such privilege.

Alberta, with two weeks to go before voting day, has failed to offer municipal ballot provisions for soldiers serving around Kandahar and Kabul.

Simply put, Alberta's troops can't vote.

"It is sad -- he lives in Calgary, he pays his taxes, and he would like an opportunity to vote," said Janet Harris McLeod, whose son Sgt. Christopher Harris is serving in Afghanistan.

"He's over there defending our freedom and he can't even exercise his, because the bozos down at city hall didn't take into account that soldiers should be able to vote."

It's not just the hundred-or-so Calgarians in south-central Asia, but all serving Albertans, including an entire battle group from CFB Edmonton. "


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## 392 (1 Oct 2010)

[quote author=News Story]
It's not just the hundred-or-so Calgarians in south-central Asia, but all serving Albertans, including an entire battle group from CFB Edmonton. "
[/quote]

I wasn't aware the 1RCR Battle Group was from Edmonton  : 

Nothing like making it to seem way worse than it actually is. These guys definitely deserve the right to vote, but at least keep the information factual about how many guys are missing out. We're speaking about the Calgary municipal elections right? I highly doubt there's 800+ members who currently reside in the Calgary area in theatre....


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## HavokFour (1 Oct 2010)

Is it seriously too hard to send over the ballots a couple months in advance? It's not like this is a surprise election.


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## Chilme (1 Oct 2010)

You would think in a time of technology like we are in, there would be some better, secure way to get soldiers votes without mailing pieces of paper around the world and back.


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## hold_fast (1 Oct 2010)

I wonder which candidate will jump at this first, in order to make a political statement about how much they support our troops, thereby gaining some votes.

The best part is when he calls them 'bozos'. I lived there, I have a right to agree.


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## Eowyn (1 Oct 2010)

HavokFour said:
			
		

> Is it seriously too hard to send over the ballots a couple months in advance? It's not like this is a surprise election.



The date of the election may not be a surprise who is running could be.   Nomination day for Calgary this year was 20 September 2010.  That does not leave much time to get the ballots there and back.


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## Gunner98 (1 Oct 2010)

Many municipalities are expanding election polling options to include On-line voting systems for just such cases.  Which won't happen in Alberta before 2013:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/02/26/13048456-qmi.html


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## Journeyman (1 Oct 2010)

You would have to transport and marry-up ballots with voting soldiers for the municipal elections occurring all across Canada this fall; it's not simply a Calgary problem.


(Although to hear them whine, you'd think they were Toronto  ;D )


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## dapaterson (1 Oct 2010)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> (Although to hear them whine, you'd think they were Toronto  ;D )



Nah, the Flames won the Cup in my lifetime.


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## gun runner (1 Oct 2010)

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!


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## PuckChaser (1 Oct 2010)

I didn't get to vote in the last Ontario provincial election since I was from an out of province Battlegroup. Shouldn't have mattered, but I guess it did.


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## SevenSixTwo (2 Oct 2010)

Very small derail but I remember the same situation happening with the U.S. when the soldiers couldn't vote in time for President.


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## lethalLemon (3 Oct 2010)

What about phone-in ballots?

Could each soldier not call in their ballot on sat phone or something to an elections official whilst under supervision by... Wait... I see the flaw in that method now.

Damn, I thought I was producing a good idea


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## Bin-Rat (4 Oct 2010)

Well looks like Sgt Harris Will be able to vote, at a cost of $240.21, seem they are going to Fed-Ex him a package which contains a mail in ballot then it will get Fed-Ex back to the elections office.

But as the Story is written, this price is for 1 ballot only, and it is being paid by the Reserve Unit 746 Communication Squadron.

Personal Note : Seems like a Nice thing to Do, but I have a feeling this could open a big can or worms, but Hmm maybe it's just me

 Complete story write up Here  

CALGARY - Two hundred and forty dollars, and twenty-one cents.

That's the exact price of democracy, when you're a soldier stationed 10,850 kilometers from the nearest voting booth, and the government back home hasn't made election provisions for troops overseas.

All being well, Sgt. Christopher Harris will be receiving a couriered Fed-Ex package in Kandahar, Afghanistan on October 11, containing mail-in ballots for Calgary's municipal election.

It's a pricey trip for one little envelope - $94.34 to Kandahar, and $145.87 back to Calgary - but the commanding officers of 746 Communication Squadron apparently believe that's a small price for one of their own.

"I think it's fantastic and it's a reflection of how they feel about Christopher in his unit," said Janet Harris McLeod.

"They said to me, the military is his second family, and we're here to look after him."

Harris McLeod learned about the squad's last-minute courier strategy from a commanding officer with the Calgary-based reserve unit, after Alberta's voting SNAFU made the front page of the Sun.

If sent Monday as planned, the ballots will reach Kandahar on Oct. 11, and be returned to Calgary on Oct. 14, four days before the election.

A close shave, but at least Sgt. Harris will have a vote, unlike hundreds of other Alberta soldiers.


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## The Bread Guy (4 Oct 2010)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> You would have to transport and marry-up ballots with voting soldiers for the municipal elections occurring all across Canada this fall; it's not simply a Calgary problem.


The Federation of Canadian Municipalities represents just under 1,800 member municipalities, with a variaety of (somewhat) different provincial legislation governing municipal elections, so it would be quite the ball o' string to untangle.


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## The_Falcon (4 Oct 2010)

Ontario troops can't vote in their civic elections either  : but you don't see them complaining.


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## 392 (4 Oct 2010)

Bin-Rat said:
			
		

> Well looks like Sgt Harris Will be able to vote, at a cost of $240.21, seem they are going to Fed-Ex him a package which contains a mail in ballot then it will get Fed-Ex back to the elections office.
> 
> But as the Story is written, this price is for 1 ballot only, and it is being paid by the Reserve Unit 746 Communication Squadron.
> 
> ...



I'm curious as to how exactly FedEx will get this to him? It's not like FedEx will be allowed into whatever FOB he is in, or even into KAF. If Strat Air can be scheduled to get VIPs and famous people into theatre, why can't the transport of ballots be scheduled to conicide with a sustainment flight in either direction?


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## Fishbone Jones (4 Oct 2010)

Capt. Happy said:
			
		

> I'm curious as to how exactly FedEx will get this to him? It's not like FedEx will be allowed into whatever FOB he is in, or even into KAF. If Strat Air can be scheduled to get VIPs and famous people into theatre, why can't the transport of ballots be scheduled to conicide with a sustainment flight in either direction?



It'll likely go to the Fedex contractor in Khandahar and move on from there to the base for delivery.


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## Gunner98 (5 Oct 2010)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> Ontario troops can't vote in their civic elections either  : but you don't see them complaining.



Some municipalities in Ontario (Brockville for example) are doing away with paper ballots entirely and only having online and telephone voting.  Others like Pembroke are rolling out online and telephone voting this election but keeping paper ballot as well.

http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/PrintArticle.aspx?e=2765915


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## Blackadder1916 (5 Oct 2010)

Simian Turner said:
			
		

> Some municipalities in Ontario (Brockville for example) are doing away with paper ballots entirely and only having online and telephone voting.  Others like Pembroke are rolling out online and telephone voting this election but keeping paper ballot as well.
> 
> http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/PrintArticle.aspx?e=2765915



The link you provided does not reference nor discuss any changes to voting in municipal elections.

Ontario's Municipal Elections Act permits voting alternatives that include telephone and internet in addition to mail-in paper ballots, while the similar legislation in Alberta allows only mail-in ballots (and specifically describes the allowed style and process) in addition to the traditional polling stations.  Even if there was no telephone or internet voting in a particular Ontario municipality, deployed troops (or anyone for that matter) may not have to worry about not exercising their franchise if they can't make it to a polling station or don't have reliable mail service.  Ontario permits "proxy voting" in municipal elections, however like other forms of alternative voting it probably has to be authorized by local by-law.


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## ModlrMike (5 Oct 2010)

Capt. Happy said:
			
		

> I'm curious as to how exactly FedEx will get this to him? It's not like FedEx will be allowed into whatever FOB he is in, or even into KAF. If Strat Air can be scheduled to get VIPs and famous people into theatre, why can't the transport of ballots be scheduled to conicide with a sustainment flight in either direction?



I seem to recall DHL offered courier services in KAF.


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## Gunner98 (5 Oct 2010)

Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> The link you provided does not reference nor discuss any changes to voting in municipal elections.



Really..."Mr. Brazeau has also volunteered to be the city's elections auditor, and  will be helping to test the electronic voting system -online and by telephone -that the municipality will be using this election.


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## 392 (5 Oct 2010)

ModlrMike said:
			
		

> I seem to recall DHL offered courier services in KAF.



DHL uses the Kandahar International Airport side of KAF yes, which is wholly different than "KAF".

I'm curious to see if the package the ballots come in actually make it intact to the member. I recall the last time someone had something couriered to them in theatre, it ended up being hauled apart by an IEDD team. I'm not saying this will happen this time, but I can say I'm curious to hear how this turns out


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## SevenSixTwo (5 Oct 2010)

ModlrMike said:
			
		

> I seem to recall DHL offered courier services in KAF.



Offtopic: DHL can go to hell.

Ontopic: It's interesting all right but I can't help but think how voting by phone could work?


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## Fishbone Jones (5 Oct 2010)

The article said it was going by FedEx. FedEx has an office in Kandahar. I'm sure it sees regular traffic. At least as much as the one in Kabul.

Kandahar 
Address: Noor Jahan Hotel, 1st floor
Shaheedan Square
Shahr-e-Naw Street
Kandahar
Afghanistan 
Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 
Mobile: +93 (0)70 303257 
Fax: +93 (0)20 2500524 
Service Available: Export/Import


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## 392 (6 Oct 2010)

recceguy said:
			
		

> The article said it was going by FedEx. FedEx has an office in Kandahar. I'm sure it sees regular traffic. At least as much as the one in Kabul.



So, it would be safe to assume they employ Afghanis? Then, by my best guess and understanding of "Afghan Time", it should make it to him sometime next year


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## Journeyman (6 Oct 2010)

Capt. Happy said:
			
		

> So, it would be safe to assume they employ *Afghanis*?


I would assume they employ "afghanis" _and_ "US dollars" in their financial transactions.

They likely have Afghans working there as well


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## 392 (6 Oct 2010)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> I would assume they employ "afghanis" _and_ "US dollars" in their financial transactions.
> 
> They likely have Afghans working there as well



Ahhhh - touché  ;D

I forgot all about the "Afghani". Which reminds me, on one Op we found about 75,000 Afghanis stashed in a cache, which I think worked out to about 12 bucks op:







Well, it was more like $1700USD-ish, but it still kind of made us laugh....


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