Posted on 10/05/2008 5:18:42 AM PDT by Clive
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- The work day all but over Saturday, Bombardier Hollie Speers did what a lot of Canadians are thinking about these days: she voted in an advance poll.
Unlike the average voter, though, Bombardier Speers cast her ballot with an assault rifle slung over her shoulder, at a polling booth deep in Taliban country.
She was part of a Herculean effort to ensure that hundreds of Canadian troops in Afghanistan get a chance to exercise their democratic franchise, between firefights and reconstruction projects.
So far, the project has been a surprising success. The 75% poll turnout at Bombardier Speers' forward operating base west of Kandahar city far exceeds the usual national average.
"I felt like, ‘How could they not [set up a poll]?' " said the soldier, who helps operate a 155 mm. artillery gun. "It's a big part of why we're here, so how could they take it away from us?"
Elections Canada sent ballots for all of the 2,500 or so Canadian service people stationed in Afghanistan. About a third of them had to be shipped out to the various outposts scattered through the most volatile parts of Kandahar province. Some were even transported by helicopter to the bases.
Capt. Chris Reeves, second-in-command at Capt. Speers' base and its designated deputy returning officer, said he'd just got back from a harrowing patrol a few weeks ago -- where he and his men came under fire from insurgents -- to find a package addressed to him from Elections Canada.
It explained, among other points, that he was to allow representatives of the political parties to observe the polling if they applied. As it turned out, "none of the parties showed up," Capt. Reeves said with a grin, as shots rang out from a nearby rifle range.
...
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalpost.com ...
-
Good to know. Thanks.
Too bad that the Rats have agents in the Post Office that throw them away.
The Canadian rules do not require that the ballots' envelopes be postmarked. Elections Canada does not have any requirement that the ballots arrive by post. The main requirement is that they be in sealed official, bar coded, outer envelopes with the ballot in an official inner envelope, all part of a kit supplied by Elections Canada.
It does not matter how the envelopes get to Canada. These ballots will no doubt be added to the manifest of a returning C17 or C130 from Kandahar to CFB Trenton then by surface courier to Ottawa.
See this backgrounder by Elections Canada:
Unlike their counterparts in America who’s votes don’t count.
The RATSmay try to bar the counting of them, just for practice, a knee-jerk reaction. They hate anybodys’ military.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.