Alleged voter fraud in Calgary NDP nomination sparks calls for inquiry

Members of a defeatedNDP nomination candidate's team in northeast Calgary are calling for an investigation into alleged voter fraud at a nomination vote late last year.

Gurbachan Brarcomfortably defeatedRoopRai to win the NDP nomination in the riding of Calgary-North East on Dec. 16, 2018, but a member of Rai's campaign says complaints about people from outside the riding voting fraudulently were brushed off by the party.

The complaints allege people votedusing false addresses and documents,both ahead of the vote and on the day itself.

Now Inderpreet Singh Gill, who acted as a scrutineer in the contest, is joining Raito callforan investigation.

Gill says at least two people who live outside the Calgary-North Eastridingturned up on nomination day and voted using documentation containing false addresses. He thinks there could have been many more.

He raised the issue about suspect pieces of IDbeing used with the NDP's nomination chair during the vote but says his complaints were alloverruled.

Rai's team said they also made the party aware of their concernsin the run up to thevote, during and after the contest.

"When we emailed the party after the election we gave names and they acknowledged two people did vote and they said that doesn't influence the course of the election so they're letting that go," Gill said.

"Even two votes is too much, and we are saying, there were more. How can it be that people living in other ridings can influence my choice? They are hijacking the election.

"There should be stricter identification," Gill added. "It should be more stringent."

'Scrupulous' requirements followed, party says

In an email to CBC Calgary, NDP provincial secretaryRoariRichardson said,"We followed scrupulous identification requirements that are in line with the standards set out by Elections Alberta."

"Elections Alberta states that voters can provide one piece of government-issued ID containing their photograph, their name, and current address," the secretary said in the statement. "If they are unable to provide government-issued ID, they must provide two pieces of authorized ID. Both must have their name and one must have their current physical address."

GurbachanBrar, the NDP candidate who won the nomination votein Calgary-North East,was contacted by CBC but declined to comment.

Letter to election commissioner

In a letter to Alberta's election commissionersent this week, Gill claimedhe had spoken with the owner of one home in the riding that had 15 different people usingit as their home address on the NDP's membership list.

Gill said another address they were made aware of in the riding had 12 NDP members registered to it.

Gill said the first homeowner involved has filed a complaint with Calgary Police about his address being used fraudulently.

As well asan investigation into the Dec. 16vote, which Gillsaid the party hasn't so far acknowledged or taken seriously, he wants to see stricter ID requirements introduced forfuture nomination votes.

"We want a fair fight and for it to be above board and clean. If that kind of politics is going to take place why even have the farce of an election?" he said, adding he has a list of addresses in Calgary-North East communities with similar concernsabout them being used to register fraudulent voters from outside of the riding.

"If the NDP says they are better than the others then they should prove it. It should be a fair and above board process," said Gill.

"It is definitely rampant in the northeast, in the three ridings that we have. It's a rampant problem and it has to be nipped in the bud," said Gill.

Gill saidhe also has concerns around international students being allowed to vote in nomination contests.

Petition signed

A petition has gathered signatures from around 150 NDP members and supporters in the northeast, who say they plan toleavethe party over the issue.

"I stand strongly and firmly with the residents of Calgary-Northeast who are questioning the electoral process of the Dec.16nomination contest that apparently allowed at least two confirmed fraudulent votes to be cast," defeated candidateRoopRai said.

"The outcome is not being questioned; only the process is, and I think, as Albertans, we are all well within our democratic rights to ask for an investigation into a questionable election process, especially when there is evidence."

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