OTTAWA, ON. (NEWS 1130) – The Federal Liberal government is rolling back a number of controversial changes to Canada’s voting process.
Liberals to reinstate a voter ID card as a valid form of ID. Also bringing back the vouching process for voters. #cdnpoli
— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) November 24, 2016
Maryam Monsef, the minister for democratic institutions, has introduced legislation that will allow voters to use the voter information card as valid ID to cast a ballot.
The government is also restoring the ability of voters to vouch for other citizens who lack identification, permitting them to vote, and restoring the chief electoral officer’s voter education mandate.
Liberals will once again allow Elections Canada to inform Cdns about how to vote. Also will create a registration of future voters #cdnpoli
— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) November 24, 2016
The previous Conservative government tightened voting rules with its controversial Fair Elections Act, which critics said was aimed at suppressing the vote of people unlikely to support Conservative options.
The new bill also expands the right to vote to more than a million Canadians living abroad.
It will also provide more independence to the commissioner of elections, who investigates election irregularities and fraud. The Conservatives under Stephen Harper had introduced a sweeping array of reforms in an effort to fight voter fraud — although experts disputed the extent to which fraud existed.