Dal student union criticizes Elections Canada effort

From my new favourite online publication, U-News.

To view the report, click here.

The Dalhousie Student Union has sent a report to Ottawa on what it calls Elections Canada’s lacklustre efforts to address the needs of student voters

Steven Woodhead
Last update: November 17, 2008 9:21 am AT

Just as Elections Canada conducts its regular post-election survey to assess its performance, the students union at Dalhousie University has sent a report to Elections Canada with concerns of a poorly done job.

The letter's primary author was Mark Coffin, vice-president (education) for the Dalhousie Student Union (DSU). The document was based upon a report that Coffin prepared for the student union meeting on Nov. 5, which identifies five main problems with the voting process in Halifax this year. According to Coffin, the process in Halifax was "very disorganized".

One of the recipients of the letter from the Dal student union was the Chief Electoral Officer for Elections Canada, who must make his report to Parliament within 90 days of the federal election.

Part of his report will include findings from the survey that Elections Canada is currently conducting. Elections Canada spokesman John Enright said the survey will cost somewhere in the neighbourhood of $900,000.

Related Websites

• VP Education Council Report
• “Elections Canada asks $1.3-million question: ‘How we doin’?’” (Canadian Press)

"What we're looking for specifically is to assess an elector's knowledge, awareness, attitudes and opinions on voting," said Enright. The survey will also have a special youth-based component, which Enright says will evaluate the difficulties that people aged 18 to 24 might have had in voting this year.

"At this point, we're still evaluating the post-election material from the most recent election," said Enright. "Anecdotally, we know that there have been some complaints with respect to voter ID, for example, by not just students but by electors generally. We haven't had a chance to compile and analyze everything. We're doing that now."

A lack of consultation

Voter ID requirements are not the only problem voters encountered, according to the DSU.

Students unions in around the province are generally the go-to groups for ensuring that as many students vote as possible, with support from the office of the chief returning officers who represent Elections Canada. According to Coffin, there was a lack of co-ordination this year between Elections Canada and the DSU - the number one concern in the students union report.

The lack of consultation on issues such as how to best register students living in student neighbourhoods and how to equip the campus with the required number of polling stations is a major concern for the student union, said Coffin.

Elections Canada failed to meet many of the commitments it pledges to make every election year, as outlined in the Service Standards document it sent to the DSU, according to the report presented to Nova Scotia MPs.

The report from the Dalhousie Student Union breaks down as follows:

• Service standards for student electors were not upheld: Subsections reveal that there was not adequate consultation with the DSU prior to the election, nor were student housing areas targeted in such a way that would increase the student vote.
• Inadequate resources for on-campus polling stations: Polling stations were not set up in residence buildings, but rather in high-traffic areas of the Student Union Building. This lead to long line-ups and some students leaving without voting.
• Off-campus students trying to vote at on-campus stations: With no polling places on campus for off-campus students, it meant lengthy travel periods to polling locations during class time.
• Poor pre-election organization, and ID restrictions disadvantage student voters: There was insufficient paper literature made available to students that was clear and easy to understand about the voting process, and students found that the change in what is considered valid ID to be confusing.

Finding ways to reach out

In the meantime, Elections Canada is considering different approaches to ensure that youth are aware of how to vote.

The survey includes a web-based component that aims to reach out to 330 student and youth associations, including university and college student associations, youth community groups for those not enrolled in school, and other advocacy groups such as Apathy is Boring and Student Vote.

The survey will also measure the ways in which Elections Canada can use technology to make contact with potential student voters.

"We know that the 18 to 24 electors are very plugged in," said Enright. "So for us to be able to reach an elector with information on the voting process, it's important for us to understand how they are using those technologies so we can better inform them through those technologies."