Coast electors who did not receive their voter information cards for the Sept. 20 federal election in the mail are asked to call the local Elections Canada office at 1-866-410-5230. That Sechelt-based office will be able to assist by providing poll number details for these voters, as well as general information on voting place locations and hours.
B.C. spokesperson for Elections Canada, Andrea Marantz, has heard complaints about missing cards from residents in the Gibsons area. She believes the situation impacts very few people. In most cases, these happen when “a voter’s commonly used address is not actually associated with the physical location of their home,” she said.
Marantz speaks from personal experience. In a previous election, she did not receive her card, as she was using a post office box as a mailing address. “It’s a problem that we have been addressing for a number of years all across the country.”
She recommends making a telephone call for the information rather than requesting it via the Elections Canada website. The online process will ask for a person’s postal code, which again, may not agree exactly with where that person resides.
“You do not need to have your voter information card to be able to vote. It is a tool for your own convenience, letting you know where you can vote in advance polls and on election day. You can use it with another piece of identification to prove your identity at the polls, and it can make the voting process easier,” said Marantz.
