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RE: LETTER: Not winning popular vote again speaks volumes about Trudeau's 'clear mandate', Sept. 24, 2021.
Every election I participate in the electoral process, I enjoy meeting new people and helping them in our voting process. This year was challenging, yet I thought I would go ahead and participate.
I worked both advanced polls and election day, and I knew we would have our challenges due to public health safety measures in place. The deputy returning officers were doing the poll clerks' job (unable to have two people sitting together closely), the contact tracing sign-in slowed things down, the amount of people inside the building was reduced due to social distancing.
Most of the people voting understood, a few were extremely frustrated and verbally assaulted polling staff while yelling about their political views. You may have been in a line-up and decided to try again later, but you could have voted by special ballot, mail-in ballot or at advance polls.
Elections Canada is a non-partisan organization, yet some felt inclined to disrespect others by yelling and screaming political views while waiting in line, which is not acceptable.
I am glad Trudeau called the election, clearly people wanted to get their voice heard, sadly some didn't get their voice heard the way they wanted. Just ask the lady who was escorted out by security and the police were called after the line-up was gone and the doors were shut, while she was waiting to vote. Just because she felt Elections Canada should stay open as long as she wanted them to.
Treating people terribly tells others a lot about a person. But on a brighter note, thank you to all the people who went out of their way to make election day possible, specially during these crazy times. It was a pleasure to work with everyone.
Renee McKnight, Newmarket
