Discussions

Here is the official address of my polling station for Oct. 19 as listed on my voter ID card:  
 
R.M. of Cornwallis Municipal Office  
Veteran's Way - Unit C, road 107191 Road  
Brandon  
 
FWIW, I live right in town near the Sportsplex. It took some searching, but I finally found out that this is out Veterans Way past the jail and the RCMP station.  
 
Who picked this for a polling location? Larry Maguire? As far as I can tell, it's not accessible by transit and is a couple of km walk from 1st Street. If you don't have your own transportation, you probably aren't going out to vote here.  
 
I'd say this qualifies as disenfranchising the poor and students - two of the demographics that tend to NOT vote conservative.  
 
Does anyone else in the city have a screwball polling station that is difficult to get to? Or is the whole city voting here?  

Ask your candidate for a ride

I guess a person could have used the voted by mail in ballot, participated in advanced polls, made arrangements with one of the thousands of of other brandonites that will be voting, called your candidate's office to ask for a ride, but it's probably a better idea to blame Stephen Harper and complain on Ebrandon.  
 
Edited by Crash, 2015-10-11 22:15:54

Shouldn't have to. Why make the polling station difficult to find and get to? I can see a lot of students, poor and seniors just not bothering because they can't find it or can't get to it...

I'm going to assume you were hoping that the polling station was going to be at the sportsplex or school. I would guess every Canadian would prefer to have the polling station outside their front door but that can't happen. Polling stations are placed where avialable (less of them in elementary schools as a way to limit a wave of adults wandering the halls & tons of extra traffic around kids and the school)

It's because of HIM, I had a flat tire when I left to go vote yesterday, and, the advanced polling station was 25km away! Outrageous. Blame HARPER!

Crash said "I'm going to assume you were hoping that the polling station was going to be at the sportsplex or school. I would guess every Canadian would prefer to have the polling station outside their front door but that can't happen. Polling stations are placed where avialable (less of them in elementary schools as a way to limit a wave of adults wandering the halls & tons of extra traffic around kids and the school) "

Polling stations in my opinion SHOULD be accessible via public transit. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a car or are available for the advance poll.  
 
Poor choice of a location in my opinion.

Crash said "I'm going to assume you were hoping that the polling station was going to be at the sportsplex or school. I would guess every Canadian would prefer to have the polling station outside their front door but that can't happen. Polling stations are placed where avialable (less of them in elementary schools as a way to limit a wave of adults wandering the halls & tons of extra traffic around kids and the school) "

I just think that a polling location should be accessible by public transit. At the very least, a voter should be able to take a bus and have a block or two to walk. Since when is it safe to walk a couple of km next to a highway? There had to be a better option.

That seems unfair to force those living in the city to go to a polling station outside of public transit. You could make the argument that anyone living outside of city limits always have to travel to a polling station but they have chosen to live outside of city limits and therefore have alternative transportation to get themselves there. I also agree that if you call the office of whoever you are planning to vote for, they will arrange a ride for you.

I would have to see more info on just how many folks are having to vote at the RM office and where they live, but on the surface would seem like a fair point for discussion if nothing else.  
I'll stay within myself and just say I think it's a real stretch to use a chain of assumptions and generalizations to turn this into a partisan issue that would meaningfully effect any one candidate's vote more than another.  
 
Edited by Adam, 2015-10-11 23:02:20

I neither live or work anywhere near this polling station. For whatever reason, by your description I knew where it was, I would assume most people could find out where it is if they want to know.  
 
I'm pretty sure Elections Canada is the entity in charge of selecting polling stations. I think it's a pretty big leap to suggest Larry Maguire had anything to do with that choice.  
 
Come election day, it's pretty easy to get a ride. Any of the candidates, regardless of who you intend to vote for will arrange a ride.

Make no mistake - neither I nor anyone in my family will have a problem getting to this polling station. I just question the choice of location. I have to wonder about it when I read stories about people getting voter cards telling them that their polling locations are, in some cases, hundreds of miles away. Is anyone else reading this voting at the R.M. of Cornwallis Municipal Office?  
 
Just for reference, last election I voted at the church at 18th and Braecrest.  

I live just south of Brandon. I have a Bdn PO box address. I expected to have to travel to Bdn to vote. Nope. I have to go west of Bdn to Alexander to vote. The advanced polling station for me is in Souris. Neither location is close for me or remotely within my travels. I could have understood voting at the RM of Cornwallis office, as this is the RM that I live in. What moron decided my polling locations?

Thank you. The replies here were starting to make me think I was the only one with an issue about my polling location. At least I don't have to go 25km to vote...

I would question if the information on your VIC card is correct. Your local elections office which is in Brandon is open 9-9, so give them a call to verify this.  
In any case, you can vote today in the advance poll.  
Good luck and hope you get out to vote.

Your polling station out on the low road doesn't seem to make sense. We live between the Sportsplex and 1st Street North and our polling station is Kirkaldy Heights School.  
 
 
 

JR said "Shouldn't have to. Why make the polling station difficult to find and get to? I can see a lot of students, poor and seniors just not bothering because they can't find it or can't get to it... "

on this one. As someone who can't find places I wouldn't even want to bother trying!  
 
I don't think that Larry Maguire picked the spot though, lol!  
 
the quiet one is right, ask for a ride, they want your vote? they'll drive you!

perhaps said "If you check on the Elevtions Canada website it tells you if it is more convenient for voters they can vote at any of the 400 Election Canada offices deadline is October 13 @6:00 pm .   They are open 7 days a week check it out     Elections Canada website "

Right, I believe it's called voting by special ballot, quite easy to do.  
Just make sure you have proper ID.  

You have been the victim of another elections Canada screwup  
I live on Ross and my polling station is Kirkaldy School  
Call the number on your voter registration card to clear things up.  
 
Even though PMSH has nothing to do with EC I'm sure it's all his fault!!

Hackeda said "Your polling station out on the low road doesn't seem to make sense. We live between the Sportsplex and 1st Street North and our polling station is Kirkaldy Heights School.         "

If this is true, that means I have to go [i]past[/i] a polling location and travel another 2-3 miles to get to my polling location. WTF???  
 
It's not just me - my neighbours have the same polling location as me.  
 
Also, I understand that Larry Maguire did not do this, but as the incumbent, he is the one who appointed the returning officer for the riding.

JR said "    Hackeda said "Your polling station out on the low road doesn't seem to make sense. We live between the Sportsplex and 1st Street North and our polling station is Kirkaldy Heights School.         " If this is true, that means I have to go [i]past[/i] a polling location and travel another 2-3 miles to get to my polling location. WTF???     It's not just me - my neighbours have the same polling location as me.     Also, I understand that Larry Maguire did not do this, but as the incumbent, he is the one who appointed the returning officer for the riding. "

There has got to be a reason for it. When you get someone to explain it to you, explain it to me please. This makes no sense.  
 
Politics don't make sense at the best of times but this really is a political wtf.

JR said "    Crash said "I'm going to assume you were hoping that the polling station was going to be at the sportsplex or school. I would guess every Canadian would prefer to have the polling station outside their front door but that can't happen. Polling stations are placed where avialable (less of them in elementary schools as a way to limit a wave of adults wandering the halls & tons of extra traffic around kids and the school) " I just think that a polling location should be accessible by public transit. At the very least, a voter should be able to take a bus and have a block or two to walk. Since when is it safe to walk a couple of km next to a highway? There had to be a better option. "

There has been 4 days of advance voting and i am sure the bus went by the Manitoba room. There are helpers for all party,s that would assist you get to the polling station. Or you could continue to complain. Have a good one.

Girlfriend in small town....her neighbor on the left & neighbor on the right & across the street all vote in the town they all live in. They have to to travel 30 km to vote . They have lived at the same address for years. She phoned to see WTF ...lol Seem to be hearing a lot of that this year...

Call the party office of who you want to vote for they will ensure you make it

I recall the year we had to vote at the Roseland school, another year in Kemnay, plus other assorted places and we live less than a half mile from Brandon. It is what it is - but whining on eBrandon won't fix it - only a call to the electoral office will do that!

Another solution would have been to take advantage of the advance polling station. I went in yesterday and was out of there in literally 2 minutes.  

Yep... voted at the advance poll, but not because of my polling location. Actually, I don't have it so bad. My son's friend lives in Winnipeg and has to vote in the North West Territories. When he called, they told him there was nothing they could do about it. Maybe he should call the party he wants to vote for and ask for a ride on Monday...

It's Harpers fault that more people voted this election, and Harpers fault that there were wait times to vote! Outrageous! BLAME HARPER BLAME HARPER! It's HIS fault I had to wait 20 minutes for a cab today! Outrageous!

JR said "Yep... voted at the advance poll, but not because of my polling location. Actually, I don't have it so bad. My son's friend lives in Winnipeg and has to vote in the North West Territories. When he called, they told him there was nothing they could do about it. Maybe he should call the party he wants to vote for and ask for a ride on Monday... "

Someone mentioned to me tonight that people can also go down to the elections office while they are open in the town centre to vote anytime before election day.  
So there's that option as well.