An Elections Canada worker who allegedly encouraged voters to vote Conservative outside of an advanced polling station in York Region over the weekend will “not be present at any EC office or polling place,” a spokesperson for the non-partisan agency says.
“We always take allegations of partisanship seriously. When allegations are raised, we look into them. Measures have been put in place by the Returning Officer to ensure election workers continue to remain non-partisan,” Diane Benson, of Elections Canada, told CTVNewsToronto.ca in an email.
“The integrity of the electoral process, and the perception of its integrity, are our priority.”
Benson added that “out of an abundance of caution” they’ve also referred this file to the Commissioner of Canada Elections, which is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Canada Elections Act.
The incident in question occurred over the weekend at a polling station in the King-Vaughan federal electoral district at Teston Village Public School, near Jane Street and Teston Road, in Maple, Ont.
Nadeem Mahmood, a spokesperson for the riding’s Liberal candidate Mubarak Ahmed, told CTV News Toronto that he was working as a scrutineer at that location last Friday when the “breach of public trust” occurred.
“What has happened is very concerning. It’s unacceptable,” he said.
“Targeting voters in a particular language, for example, to promote a specific party, of course, is not only unethical, it borders on voter manipulation as well.”
Mahmood said he’s aware of six to eight voters in the lineup who reported that a female employee there was “going around and telling selected people to vote for [the] Conservatives.”
He said that a couple of people stopped by their office to advise them of what was happening, and that they also received a few calls.
“I think she was trying to target people who will look like that if they may or may not understand process or they may not be, you know, very familiar with the process,” Mahmood said, adding that the matter was brought to the attention of the on-site supervisor, who took swift action.
Mahmood said he believes the Returning Officer was then advised of the situation and, as far as he understands, the worker was “reassigned duties somewhere else.”
Elections Canada has not implicitly confirmed to CTV News Toronto if the employee has been reassigned, or if they have been terminated or otherwise.
According to the job description for EC poll workers, it is a requirement that they be “non-partisan and refrain from any partisan political activity during the term of your employment.”
A campaign spokesperson for the riding’s Conservative incumbent Anna Roberts said they have “no knowledge of nor involvement in any such an event.”
“Our campaigns are busy knocking on doors, and that is where our focus is,” they wrote in an email to CP24, adding that it’s “obviously crucial” Elections Canada workers be “impartial.”
The spokesperson did, however, say they’re “aware of a situation in Milton East–Halton Hills South where an Elections Canada worker was encouraging people to vote Liberal at a polling station, which we reported to Elections Canada.”
Elections Canada confirmed to CP24 that it is “aware of the situation,” adding that they “always take allegations of partisanship seriously.”
“When allegations are raised, we look into them. Measures have been put in place by the Returning Officer to ensure election workers continue to remain non-partisan,” a spokesperson wrote in an email.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have also referred the file to the Commissioner of Canada Elections, which is the office responsible for ensuring compliance with the Canada Elections Act and investigating potential contravention.”
The non-partisan agency would not comment on the employment status of the worker in the Milton East-Halton Hills South case.
Ahmed’s office, meanwhile, has filed a formal complaint with Elections Canada about what allegedly occurred over in King-Vaughan and requested that an immediate incident report be made available, which Mahmood said he believes has been done. He also said that he’s spoken with EC’s ethics team, which is also doing an internal investigation.
Mahmood said the riding could go any way in terms of who will be its next MP and they’re focusing on earning every vote.
“[Ahmed] is saying that he entered into this race with the with the faith in the electoral system, and he feels that that faith was shaken, of course, but not broken,” he said.
“We will hold the system accountable, and we will always stand for democracy, and that’s what we are trying to do.”
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Alex Arsenych
