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Dude, this is great. Next topic.
One of my cousins runs a facility for schizophrenic seniors who cannot live unassisted. Last time I saw him he regaled us with the story of the federal government staff who were sent to record the votes of the clients. Apparently Elmer Fudd represented a strong write-in.
There are a group of homeless people who I often encounter on one of the main streets near my house. There is a soup kitchen in the area, a community centre with a needle exchange and a library where they can use the computers. I was standing on the corner waiting for a streetcar and ended up in a long conversation with a couple of them about the municipal election that was taking place that day. Every person who passed by was challenged, "Did you vote! Make sure you go vote!" It was probably the most politically engaged group I've ever met in this country.
A conversation else-net happened where I found out that in some states in the US, not only can prisoners not vote, people with criminal records can't vote. I looked up our rules, and prisoners are specifically instructed that they cast their vote in the riding where they would be living if they were not currently incarcerated. All Canadian citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote. Period.
All of which makes perfect sense to me. How can people who suffer from mental illness, who are homeless, who are incarcerated, expect their rights to be represented unless they can vote?
How does it work where you live? Do you agree or disagree with it?
One of my cousins runs a facility for schizophrenic seniors who cannot live unassisted. Last time I saw him he regaled us with the story of the federal government staff who were sent to record the votes of the clients. Apparently Elmer Fudd represented a strong write-in.
There are a group of homeless people who I often encounter on one of the main streets near my house. There is a soup kitchen in the area, a community centre with a needle exchange and a library where they can use the computers. I was standing on the corner waiting for a streetcar and ended up in a long conversation with a couple of them about the municipal election that was taking place that day. Every person who passed by was challenged, "Did you vote! Make sure you go vote!" It was probably the most politically engaged group I've ever met in this country.
A conversation else-net happened where I found out that in some states in the US, not only can prisoners not vote, people with criminal records can't vote. I looked up our rules, and prisoners are specifically instructed that they cast their vote in the riding where they would be living if they were not currently incarcerated. All Canadian citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote. Period.
All of which makes perfect sense to me. How can people who suffer from mental illness, who are homeless, who are incarcerated, expect their rights to be represented unless they can vote?
How does it work where you live? Do you agree or disagree with it?