Electoral process reforms
Petitioners ask the House to require secure, dual-custody storage for advance ballot boxes; ban pencils in favour of permanent pens; introduce anonymous voter receipts and visible cameras with privacy safeguards; conduct a mail-voter census; and launch a non‑partisan national review including proportional representation.
Why we would sign this petition
- Strengthening secure, dual custody for advance ballot boxes reduces risks of loss or unauthorized access and can increase public confidence in tabulation.
- Replacing pencils with permanent pens, issuing anonymous receipts and using visible cameras (with privacy safeguards) standardizes procedures and may deter tampering or errors.
- A national, non‑partisan review including proportional representation would openly examine whether electoral rules better reflect voters’ preferences and diversity.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Installing cameras, conducting a national census and changing materials create significant logistical costs and administrative burdens that may outweigh benefits.
- Visible surveillance in voting locations risks undermining voter privacy and could deter participation, despite proposed privacy safeguards.
- A nationwide switch to proportional representation or extensive system changes via review could produce complex trade-offs, uncertain outcomes and unintended political consequences.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons The integrity, transparency, and security of Canada’s electoral process are fundamental to public trust in democratic institutions; Concerns have been raised regarding the custody and safeguarding of advance poll ballots during the period between voting and tabulation; Canada’s current system of electoral representation does not adequately reflect the diversity and will of its citizens; and Canada's current electoral system is failing to uphold democracy of the people. We, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to mandate that all advance poll ballot boxes be stored in a secure, locked facility under continuous dual custody by two governing bodies — with both parties physically present at all times when ballot boxes are sealed, transported, or accessed. 1. Ban the use of pencils in all election polling stations and replace them with permanent, ink-based pens to uphold ballot integrity, and reinforce integrity in the electoral process; 2. Implement a standardized, non-identifiable receipt system for all voters regardless of whether they cast their ballot electronically, by mail, or in person; 3. Install visible surveillance cameras within all voting locations to oversee ballot handling areas and enhance procedural integrity, while ensuring that voter privacy is upheld; 4. Conduct a national census to identify and register all electors who wish to vote by mail, in order to distribute mail-in ballots in advance with accuracy and avoid fraud or ballot misplacement; and 5. Initiate a national, non-partisan review of Canada’s electoral system through open public consultation, including the exploration of alternative democratic models such as proportional representation with the goal of strengthening representative democracy. 1. Ban the use of pencils in all election polling stations and replace them with permanent, ink-based pens to uphold ballot integrity, and reinforce integrity in the electoral process; 2. Implement a standardized, non-identifiable receipt system for all voters regardless of whether they cast their ballot electronically, by mail, or in person; 3. Install visible surveillance cameras within all voting locations to oversee ballot handling areas and enhance procedural integrity, while ensuring that voter privacy is upheld; 4. Conduct a national census to identify and register all electors who wish to vote by mail, in order to distribute mail-in ballots in advance with accuracy and avoid fraud or ballot misplacement; and 5. Initiate a national, non-partisan review of Canada’s electoral system through open public consultation, including the exploration of alternative democratic models such as proportional representation with the goal of strengthening representative democracy.
Government response
No government response is available yet.