Concordia says Elections Canada provided them with “erroneous information”
Students, staff and faculty were turned away from the polls on Friday after Concordia University received “erroneous information” from Elections Canada.
In an email sent out Friday afternoon, the university said Elections Canada initially told them anyone eligible to vote in the federal election could cast their ballots from Concordia for early voting. However, “the polling stations in the J.W. McConnell (LB) Building from Oct. 9 to 12 are in fact restricted to voters who live in the riding of Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Sœurs and whose Voter Information Card lists the LB Building as an advance polling station.”
Early voting on campus was open to students registered in any riding between Oct. 5 and Oct. 8, but that did not continue through Oct. 12.
Concordia spokesperson Chris Mota said the university specifically asked Elections Canada if people from districts outside Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Sœurs would be able to vote the whole time Elections Canada was present on campus. “We were told yes, but that was incorrect,” she said.
However, Mota doesn’t want voters from different ridings that voted between Oct. 5 and Oct. 8 to worry. “Their votes are good, they will be counted,” she said.
