Self-isolating Islanders disappointed not to be able to vote on election day

At least two P.E.I. residents aredisappointed they won't be able to vote in this year's federal electionbecause they'll be self-isolating on election day.

Matej Hanzland his family arerequired to self-isolate after his daughter was identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 case Tuesday afternoon. This meansHanzland his partner won't be able to go out and cast a ballot on Sept. 20.

"It's unfortunate," Hanzl said. "I've never not voted, so I've always like to have my say and put my vote in. I did reach out to Elections Canada to see if there's any other options. But ifyou didn't apply to do special ballot by mail, they saidwell, there's no option but to go to the polling station if you didn't vote early.

"Not having considered doing advanced voting or anything aheadbecause you don't expect to be in this situation, now we're stuck. And I'mjust a little bit surprised there's no provisions in place for people in this situation."

The deadline to apply for a special ballot and to vote either by mail or at an Elections Canada office passed on Tuesday, and advance pollsclosed this pastMonday.

Elections Canada says Canadians who want to vote musthead to a polling station Monday.

'I was honestly shocked'

Jessica Stirling and her family werealso directed to self-isolate after her childrenwere confirmed as close contacts of a positive case.

Stirling said that when she realized she and her husband wouldn't be able to vote, she started making calls to see if there was any other way.

"The response was just like 'We don't think there's anything that could happen,'" she said. "I was honestly shocked."

"I have not always been somebody that's been really into politics, but I feel that over the years I've heard so much that our vote matters. So much. And so I've done what Ineed to do to understand politics better and make informed decisions, so now not being able to vote kind of feels like our votes don't matter."

Hanzl and Stirling pointed out that current outbreaks of COVID-19 on P.E.I. and in the rest of Canada means there aremany Canadians self-isolating and therefore not able to vote on election day.

'Nothing that can be done'

Franoise Enguehard, Atlantic media advisor at Elections Canada, said the agency is prevented by the Canada Elections Act from changing the voting options offered to Canadians.

"The only latitude that is given to the chief electoral officer to make any amendment to the processes and the procedure would be in case of an emergency, in case of an unforeseen event or an error of great magnitude," she said. "And this does not constitute it.

"Every election, peopleare prevented from voting because at the last minute they have an accident, they end up in hospital, somebody dies away and they have to leave and they can't vote in their riding. And every election, unfortunately, some people are prevented from voting because they counted on doing it on election day and they can't."

Enguehard said self-isolation measures do not meet the threshold set by the act because they aren't of a magnitude affecting the whole electorate.

She said Elections Canada was very active in informing Canadians aboutearly voting optionsand that many of the people who are self-isolating may have already voted.

"It's a sad situation," she said. "But... at this point, there is nothing that can be done."

The agency estimates that about 5.78 million people voted in advance polling, a 16.83 per cent increase compared to the advance turnout in the previous election.