Premier Jean Charest says all voters must be clearly identified when voting
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Posted by Canoe News on 16:03:22 2007/09/07
In Reply to:
'Burqa voting' decision undermines electoral integrity & ballot box equality posted by CCD Media Release
September 7, 2007
Premier Jean Charest says all voters must be clearly identified when voting
SHERBROOKE, Que. (CP) - Premier Jean Charest is disagreeing with a decision to allow Muslim women wearing burkas or niqabs to keep their faces covered when voting in three upcoming Quebec byelections.
Charest is calling the Elections Canada decision a bad one and says the matter has already been settled in Quebec.
The premier said Friday in his home riding of Sherbrooke that all voters must be clearly identified when they go to the polls in the Sept. 17 federal byelections.
Elections Canada is allowing women wearing niqabs or burkas to bring a piece of identification with a photo and another document proving their identity when they vote.
Only in cases where women wearing niqabs or burkas don't have any documents or someone to vouch for them, would they have to show their faces to allow their identity to be confirmed.
Elections Quebec was forced to backtrack on a similar position in last spring's provincial election after receiving threatening phone calls and e-mails and pressure from Quebec's three main political parties to reverse the decision.
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