Roundup: Expat voting just fine as is

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Democratic institutions minister Maryam Monsef is saying that she plans to table new legislation around expat voting by the end of the year, and I’m going to come right out and say that while I know it’s not really popular to say so, I’m actually not sure that a five-year time limit for expats is so bad, because of the way that our voting system operates. To be more specific, our electoral system depends on your voting in one of 338 ridings to elect a local representative. You’ve not voting for the party banner or the party leader – you’re voting for the representative, regardless of what your particular electoral calculation is when you’re in the voting booth. And as an expat who has been out of the country – and in particular that riding – for more than five years, does it really make sense for you to continue to cast a ballot in said riding if you don’t actually live there?

And this is the part where people start shouting about their right to vote, which is all well and good, but again I go back to the central premise – how can you vote for a representative in a riding if you don’t live there, and almost certainly don’t know who is actually on the ballot? And don’t tell me that it doesn’t matter, that the majority of people vote based on the party or the leader, because it actually does matter. Our system is constructed in a way that ensures maximum accountability (and that accountability is currently wounded by the rules around party leadership selection, but that’s another story for another day), and that means accountability for the MP who was selected in that riding election for that seat (and yes, each riding is a separate election), and later in the House of Commons, when the government is responsible to the whole of the Chamber to maintain confidence to continue governing. And this is where expat voting gets complicated. How can someone who doesn’t live in the riding know what is going on, and whether the MP is doing a good job or not? Sure, a few expats maintain close enough ties, but I would venture that the vast majority don’t, and that the vast majority are looking to cast a special ballot based solely on party or leader preference, but that’s not how the system works, and yes, that’s important because democracy is process. The vote has to have a proper meaning, and that meaning is for the individual MP to fill the individual seat. This is not the United States where people ostensibly cast a direct ballot for the presidency (which again is complicated by their electoral college), but that makes a special ballot for expats a simpler affair. (They also impose taxes on expats, which Canada doesn’t). What about the voter rolls, where expats would ostensibly be listed at an address where they no longer live? How does that actually work in practical terms without creating yet more headaches for Elections Canada? Unless Maryam Monsef can thread the needle to demonstrate how expats can still vote within our current system in an effective manner which means voting for a candidate in a riding, I’m having a hard time seeing how dropping the five-year rule is either beneficial, practical, or even responsible. (And yes, I’m sure that I’m a monster for thinking so).

Good reads:

  • From the APEC summit in Peru, Justin Trudeau tried to downplay concerns over NAFTA and said that trade deals need to be seen to benefit more people.
  • The Halifax International Security Forum concluded without anyone having any solid ideas about what to do about the Trumpocalypse.
  • The government is promising legislative changes to help deal with the opioid crisis.
  • The government will need to make a decision not only on continuing Northern Gateway this week, but also a lesser known Line 3 replacement to Minnesota.
  • The Liberals have made more spending announcements over their first year than the Conservatives did – but also spent less money doing it.
  • Here’s a look from Iraq about the uncertainty over the Trump presidency.
  • A Conservative MP has a bill on increasing punishment for hate-based graffiti coming up for debate, which is apropos timing (but yet more Criminal Code tinkering).
  • Here’s a bit of a preview of the Francophonie Summit that the Prime Minister will be attending this upcoming weekend.
  • There are demands that the government permanently lift the loans they extend to refugees to get them to Canada in favour of simply paying their way.
  • Chantal Hébert writes about three things coming up on the government agenda that will start turning the heat up for them.

Odds and ends:

Yet another story about Canada Post “forgetting” that letters to MPs don’t require postage.

5 thoughts on “Roundup: Expat voting just fine as is”

  1. I respectfully disagree with your position on expat voting. For one thing, the right to vote is absolute (“Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of the members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.”); there are no restrictions other than citizenship. For another, how can we deem someone who is away for 1826 days (5 years plus one day) less qualified than one who returns one day sooner? Finally, if we are serious about ensuring that only knowledgeable citizens vote, we would need to institute some form of test, not rely on residence.

    • It’s possible the courts would uphold a restriction under s.1 of the Charter; and certainly it’s a judgment call for where to draw that line, but it’s one that has been decided, and I’m not wholly uncomfortable with where it was drawn. You’re free to disagree, but I think if our votes are to have the meaning they’re intended to, then at some point, someone who’s lived out of the country for a certain period of time no longer has any connection with the riding they’re supposed to vote in.

      • Done! We agree to disagree. In terms of a connection to the riding, I believe that French expats are actually represented by a special “foreign” riding. That might be an approach we could take.

        • The problem with an “expat riding” is constitutional – what province do we tie these seats to? And if there are 1M Canadians abroad, how many expat seats do we need? Even more than that, how does a party hold a nomination race for an expat riding? And fundamentally, what concerns are they supposed to bring to the Commons that don’t relate to consular duties (which go to the minister, not an MP).

  2. Pingback: Expatriate Voting Rights – Jonathan Crowe

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