Proposed Changes to the Canada Elections Act | Feb 3, 2021
Some of you may have heard about proposed changes to the Canada Elections Act. Here is what is happening:
The Liberal government has tabled a bill that proposes changes to the Canada Elections Act.
Elections Canada had recommended a series of amendments, including:
- A weekend election, featuring a two-day polling period on a Saturday and Sunday, instead of the traditional one-day vote usually held on a Monday, to give Elections Canada the ability to set up polling places in larger locations to enhance physical distancing and help with recruiting poll workers;
- Increasing the number of voting days for electors in long-term care facilities, to prevent poll workers from having to enter multiple facilities in a day, given the high-risk environment they have shown to be during the pandemic; and
- Allowing mail-in ballots sent before the deadline to be accepted up until the day after polls close.
The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) has been studying the feasibility of running an election during the pandemic.