Sunday, October 25, 2009

Long Lineups In Advance Polls. Complaints. Are Starting To Come In

Voters are being encouraged to head to the polls, even if they are feeling cynical about municipal politics. (CTV File Photo)

From The Montreal Gazette:

There were long lineups at several polling stations Sunday as advanced voting in Montreal’s election got underway.

“It’s common for the lines to be long when polls open for advanced voting,” said Pierre Laporte, a spokesperson for Montreal’s election office.

Polls are open from noon until 8 p.m.

Laporte said within about two hours of the opening of polling stations most lineups had dissipated.

But the wait angered some voters.

Read more ....

Update: Large turnout at advance polls -- CTV

My Comment: I also went early to vote at my advanced poll. While going there I was concerned that since there was only one polling station for LaSalle, there was a very good chance that it would be packed.

It was.

After waiting for about 20 minutes, I realized that this was a waste of time and I just took off.

This advanced poll was not well planned at all. I have been to advanced polls for both Federal and Provincial elections, and I have never had a problem. But I am repeating myself .... this Municipal advanced poll was not well thought off. To begin, there should have been more advanced polling stations in a large city like LaSalle. (2) Why one day .... let advance polls be open for two days or three like they are for Provincial and Federal elections. (3) Not enough staff to take care of people who are asking questions when they got to the advanced poll .... and .... when waiting in line, all announcements were made in french .... ignoring the fact that there are many anglophones and allophones in LaSalle and that many of them do not understand French.

In summary ... a big F for this day. I can only hope that election day will not be as bad as it was today.

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