How this Hamilton resident and domestic violence survivor is learning to vote safely in elections

Deanna Allain escaped an abusive relationship two years ago, but is still figuring out how to vote without her abuser finding out where she lives.

Each time an election has been called, she said she faces new hurdles to cast a ballot and protect her personal information, including in the lead up to this week's byelection for a new Hamilton Centre member of provincial parliament.

"I'm very politically engaged and voting is something I care a lot about," Allain told CBC Hamilton, after she cast an advance ballot ahead of theMarch 16 byelection. "And so it's frustrating when you're not able to. I had to do a lot of research to be able to vote in this election."

Allain said she has volunteered on several political campaigns, where candidates and volunteers have access to voter information in order to campaign strategically. She hashelped with analyzing that data. Butas a domestic violence survivor, she said she wants others to be aware of the risks they face andalso knowhow they can vote safely.

Ontario's Election Act allows fordata to be redacted

Before provincial elections,Elections Ontario said it shares voters's names and addresses with electoral officers, municipalities, MPPs, registered political parties and registered candidates, who then can share the datawith their campaign teams.

The person who Allainsaidpsychologically and emotionally abused her, sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her dog has a history ofvolunteering onelection campaigns in Hamilton, she said, and would have been able to look up her address.

She said she'd fear for her safety if he ever found out where she lives.

And while protecting others byinforming political parties orpolice is a complex and separate process, Allain said she's speaking out now specifically on the voting process,to helpother survivors stay safe.

To do so in thisbyelection,Allain deregistered from the voters list through the Elections Ontario websitebefore the votewas formally called. And when she cast her ballot in advance on Feb. 25 at the localreturning office, she requested her address be redacted.

The whole process took over an houras polling station officials had to get permission from the Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario, Allain said. She also had to show them the Ontario Election Act that says a person's information can be redacted if it would otherwise endanger their life, health or security.

"People would be very easily disenfranchised by the process," said Allain. "If you have to go through that much more work than everyone else to be able to vote, it's just easier and safer to stay home at that point."

The voter list is only to be used for electoral purposes under the Election Act, said Elections Ontario spokesperson Rafaelle Pons.

"Elections Ontario is committed to respecting privacy and protecting personal information," she said.

Perpetrators of violence 'use any means'to track victims: director

Data can be important to campaignsand it can be helpful to voters themselves, as registering means they will be sent a voter information card ahead offuture elections and won't need to register at the polling station when they go to vote, says Elections Canada.

But election bodies do have strict guidelines to protect the information collected on the voters list. The datamust be destroyed after each election, said privacy and surveillance expert Colin Bennett, a professor at the University of Victoria.

Where there's "slippage" is when the list is provided to political parties and they use it as the backbone for their own database, which will also include information gleaned from canvassing efforts and other sources like social media, Bennett said.

"You're dealing with political parties which do not have permanent employees, but a range of volunteers who come and go and do not necessarily have the required training," said Bennett. "And they also don't necessarily know their background."

Allain will have to undergo the same process for the next federal election, as Elections Canada also provides parties and candidates with a voters list.She said there needs to be a more streamlined process to remove or redact personal data for all elections.

When survivorsare fleeing violence and abuse, attempting to redact public information is part of safety planning, said Sue Taylor, executive director of Hamilton-based Interval House, which provides them with emergency shelter and support.

"Perpetrators of violence will often use any means available to find or track their victim and accessing her information through public records are available means," Taylor said.

"Can you imagine trying to go through an extensive checklist [to ensure you're protecting yourself]that at times you wonder if the list is ever truly exhaustive?"