Election Fraud – Perverting The Democratic Election Process
Presenter: Barrie Webster
November, 2012
In recent years we have seen evidence of gross abuse of the democratic election process. Examples:
- disenfranchisement:
- unreasonable requirements for ID targeted at the likely followers of one party
- intimidation of voters at polling booths
- stripping of voter rolls, e.g., electronically, focused on inner city voters
- disqualifying of votes after the fact
- disinformation about location of polls and the times that they are open
- control of polling stations by workers from one party
- electronic vote theft:
- voting by electronic voting machines using proprietary software
- abuse of that proprietary standing
- changing the vote count surreptitiously
- recounts not currently possible
- the effect of virtually unlimited funding in the wrong hands
Sources describing such problems in US federal elections:
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/12492-why-we-fight-to-prevent-stolen-elections-in-2012-and-beyond
http://truth-out.org/news/item/12505-ohios-ballot-woes-could-delay-election-results-for-weeks
http://www.newsleader.com/article/20121103/NEWS01/311030020/Va-voter-fraud-probe-widens
And specifically in Canada:
http://rabble.ca/category/tags-issues/election-fraud
Elections Canada has just traced illegal phone calls made during the 2011 federal election to a company that worked for the Conservative Party across the country.
The “robocalls” appeared to be designed to stop non-Conservative voters from casting ballots in key ridings by falsely telling voters that the location of their polling stations had changed, causing them to go to the wrong location on election day.1
This news casts doubt on the legitimacy of their majority Government. The Conservatives only narrowly won their majority by 6,201 votes in 14 ridings.2
We need answers and real consequences that lay the foundation for new laws to protect the integrity of Canadian elections.
Examples of targeted ridings
Kitchener-Waterloo (Conservative): In 2008, Peter Braid’s margin of victory over Liberal Andrew Telegdi was just 17 votes. In 2011, the margin was 2,100 votes.3 Winnipeg South Centre (Conservative): In 2008, Winnipeg South Centre was a Liberal-held seat. In 2011, the seat went Conservative by just 696 votes.4 Sydney-Victoria (Liberal): In 2011, Mark Eyking defeated Conservative candidate Cecil Clarke by just 750 votes.5 Willowdale (Conservative): Chungsen Leung defeated Liberal incubent Martha Hall Findlay by 950 votes.6 Etobicoke Centre (Conservative). In 2011, Ted Opitz won the seat by a margin of 26 votes over the incumbant Borys Wrzesnewskyj.7
Sources
Tallying the Conservative win in 14 ridings: 6,201 reasons to be frustrated: rabble.ca/news/2011/05/tallying-conservative-win-14-ridings-6201-reasons-be-frustrated Election At least 14 election ridings blitzed with live calls from fake Liberals http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/24/at-least-14-election-ridings-blitzed-with-live-calls-from-fake-liberals/
Questions:
What can we do about it as Humanists? Does it matter?
Is the use of paper ballots worth defending to prevent election abuse? Can it be relied upon?
How can we avoid disinformation? What questions do we need to ask?
See you there!
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