A Canadian government survey found Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault was wrong for saying there were major threats at polls during the 2021 election, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .“Polling staff were asked how often they had to ask electors to put on their masks while they were working,” said the survey. .“Very few, 3%, said they had to often or very often ask electors to put on their masks.”.The survey said 8% of poll workers experienced harassment while working. Among those who experienced harassment while working the Canadian election, seven in 10 said they went through verbal abuse, while two-fifths encountered harassment related to COVID-19 restrictions. .The 2021 election was the first federal pandemic election in Canadian history. Elections Canada counted 102 police calls at polling stations. .“We’ve seen instances that were quite disheartening in that respect,” said Perrault..“We’ve seen unfortunately in the last election an increase of incidents of violence or abuse vis-à-vis poll workers.”.Elections Canada questionnaires with 4,168 poll workers contradicted the claim. Nine in 10 poll workers expressed satisfaction with how the 2021 Canadian election went, remaining unchanged from 2019. .Elections Canada did not explain the discrepancy. It paid $78,897 for the survey by Phoenix Strategic Perspectives. .The poll said 94% of respondents agreed operations at their polling locations went smoothly. There was 6% who said the voting process did not go well at their sites. .“Ninety-six percent of those asked said electors understood the instructions on how to vote safely, including almost two-thirds, 64%, who said they understood very well,” said researchers. .Elections Canada said in 2021 if people did not wear a mask when they went to vote, they could face the police being called on them. .READ MORE: Elections Canada says no mask, no vote.Poll workers had been instructed to call police if necessary to enforce COVID-19 restrictions. .One incident saw RCMP summoned to an advance poll in West Kelowna, BC, to question maskless voters.
A Canadian government survey found Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault was wrong for saying there were major threats at polls during the 2021 election, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .“Polling staff were asked how often they had to ask electors to put on their masks while they were working,” said the survey. .“Very few, 3%, said they had to often or very often ask electors to put on their masks.”.The survey said 8% of poll workers experienced harassment while working. Among those who experienced harassment while working the Canadian election, seven in 10 said they went through verbal abuse, while two-fifths encountered harassment related to COVID-19 restrictions. .The 2021 election was the first federal pandemic election in Canadian history. Elections Canada counted 102 police calls at polling stations. .“We’ve seen instances that were quite disheartening in that respect,” said Perrault..“We’ve seen unfortunately in the last election an increase of incidents of violence or abuse vis-à-vis poll workers.”.Elections Canada questionnaires with 4,168 poll workers contradicted the claim. Nine in 10 poll workers expressed satisfaction with how the 2021 Canadian election went, remaining unchanged from 2019. .Elections Canada did not explain the discrepancy. It paid $78,897 for the survey by Phoenix Strategic Perspectives. .The poll said 94% of respondents agreed operations at their polling locations went smoothly. There was 6% who said the voting process did not go well at their sites. .“Ninety-six percent of those asked said electors understood the instructions on how to vote safely, including almost two-thirds, 64%, who said they understood very well,” said researchers. .Elections Canada said in 2021 if people did not wear a mask when they went to vote, they could face the police being called on them. .READ MORE: Elections Canada says no mask, no vote.Poll workers had been instructed to call police if necessary to enforce COVID-19 restrictions. .One incident saw RCMP summoned to an advance poll in West Kelowna, BC, to question maskless voters.
