Nope, this isn’t a Proportional Representation pitch (maybe another day)
It is much simpler. We all need to vote at the same time.
We’re a huge country spanning six time zones with different interests and issues in every region. The image below shows it’s even more complicated than that… what with Saskatchewan and some other spots not doing the Daylight Savings Time thing. (smart!)
Elections should be a unifying experience. No one should feel left out just because of when the sun rises and sets or when we all have to go to work. The most important job Elections Canada has is to ensure every Canadian has the same opportunity to vote.
The solution is simple. Make Election Day a holiday (or always hold it on a holiday) and then match the opening and closing times across the country.
If the Election is on a statutory Holiday, then far fewer people need to work and are free to vote whenever they want. Those that still must work, will still have advance polling days.
New voting times:
- Pacific Time: 5:30AM -5:30PM
- Mountain Time: 6:30AM-6:30PM
- Central Time: 7:30AM-7:30PM
- Eastern Time: 8:30AM-8:30PM
- Atlantic Time: 9:30AM-9:30PM
- Newfoundland Time: 10:00AM-10:00PM
We also free up a bunch of people who could help out with actually running the elections. Those poor Elections officials at the polling stations on Monday looked absolutely spent after most had been there for as much as 13 hours straight!
Students could also become more involved!
By starting and ending the voting simultaneously across the country, we eliminate the problem of the East deciding the election before some in the West have even voted without having to impose largely unenforceable restrictions on media and the public on reporting results.
Make it So Trudeau and Singh Minority Government!
Every jurisdiction should vote from 9am to 9pm on election day and hold the count until three days later starting at 8:45AM BC time and at the appropriate time in various time zones across the country. Then the results will come in at the same time. The three days would allow for mail in ballots and other special ballots to be certified prior to counting day.
Counting times, three days after votes cast:
Pacific Time: 8:30AM
Mountain Time: 9:30AM
Central Time: 10:30AM
Eastern Time: 11:30AM
Atlantic Time: 12:30PM
Newfoundland Time: 1:00PM
We could schedule the speeches to the various parties starting at 3PM Eastern time, each party in reverse order of finish 15 minutes apart.
EH. ..
Count should start at 8:30AM BC (Pacific) time 😉
That’s an interesting idea too Bill! Thanks. I feel like people, especially the media, would never go for that much of a delay. They love the immediacy of it!