With mail-in ballots used more than ever before, the last thing Canadians need is additional stress over the security of their election. But that is precisely what Canadians are getting today.
Around noon ET on election day, Elections Canada’s Voter Information Service portal began crashing, preventing voters from finding where they could vote.
Looks like the Elections Canada website is having some problems bringing up polling locations. (It’s working intermittently for me) pic.twitter.com/NrDZbLc3Ug
— Tyler Dawson (@tylerrdawson) September 20, 2021
Sorry, voters of Sault Ste. Marie pic.twitter.com/LlSKXpJel2
— Tyler Dawson (@tylerrdawson) September 20, 2021
The Voter Information Service portal provides a voter with their riding, name of their returning officer, what types of ID are sufficient for voting, riding profiles, and past election results so that voters know which party won the last election.
Between 12:35 and 12:45 EST, Elections Canada came out to say that they fixed the problem. Tests confirm that it is now fully accessible, but it is impossible to tell if it will continue functioning correctly.
Update: EC says the website was “briefly offline” this morning. “It was quickly back up and electors could try again to get their information,” per a spokesperson https://t.co/N644bxbtSX
— Tyler Dawson (@tylerrdawson) September 20, 2021
Beyond the crashing of Canadians’ primary voting resource, multiple problems have been reported at polling stations across the nation.
Due to limits on capacity at several busy ridings, lines can be seen outside polling stations stretching for hundreds of metres, possibly kilometres, while other polling stations have reportedly not been enforcing these burdensome regulations.
It’s a similar story at the Fort York National Historic site. The line here stretches under the Gardiner and through the Bentway trail. pic.twitter.com/RSoUaM9gHT
— Jenna Moon (@_jennamoon) September 20, 2021
Additionally, pollsters have reportedly run out transfer forms at other polling stations that voters apparently need to cast their ballot.
The situation at polling stations — or mine, anyway — seems more… chaotic… than usual
It seems to be administrative: they’re telling people (who have voting cards) that they need something called a transfer form, which this location has apparently run out of#Elxn44
— Paola Loriggio (@ploriggio) September 20, 2021
With lines this long, problems in the process, and an inevitable influx of voters coming after people leave work this evening, it is unclear what impact this will have on elector turnout.
According to Elections Canada, who spoke to CTV News about the issue last week, so long as voters remain in line, they are still eligible to vote even after polls close.
