Elections Canada won’t back down? Make them!

Marc Mayrand, Canada’s chief electoral officer, today says that veiled women will not have to show their faces at polling stations in upcoming elections, but they may be asked for sworn statements in some situations to verify their identities. He also challenged politicians who have voiced their criticism of the policy to change the Elections Act if they want more stringent identification requirements on election day.

“I invite Parliament to change the act,” Mayrand told reporters Monday at a press conference in Ottawa.

Invite? You have to be kidding me! This spring parliament brought in a new law requiring visual identification of voters. This decision by Elections Canada is nothing more then a slap in the face of the elected officials in this country.

“I have asked election personnel to invite anyone whose face is concealed to uncover it in a manner that is respectful to their beliefs,” Maynard said.

Respectful to their beliefs? Beliefs should have NOTHING to do with any decisions being made with regards to our electoral process. I don’t care what you believe or who you believe in, everyone should be treated the same when it comes to voting! Nobody should be hiding their face for any religious reasons.

All of this comes after the same issue came up in Quebec’s election in March. Quebec’s chief returning officer, Marcel Blanchet, decided it was acceptable for Muslim women to keep their faces covered at the polls. That decision was later reversed, requiring women to show their faces when they voted.  The same result should occur for this decision.

I hope that the elected officials will stand up and keep religion out of the political process!