If Elections Alberta wants to cure the low voter turnout problem, they really need to figure out how to run an election. I just went and cast my ballot, and I find it hard to believe that they could possibly do a worse job if they tried.
First, we have the fact that I never got a registration notification in the mail. Sounds like nobody else did either. Strike 1.
Then, we have the abysmally useless website. Strike 2.
I did make it to the right place (where I voted in the Civic election), no thanks to Elections Alberta. However, I was met with a line 25 people deep at the door.
This was just the first line... where some poor sucker had to look over his list and find out that I'm not on it, despite having voted there in the Civic Election. He sends me to the new registrations line. Strike 3.
The new registrations line is 10 deep. Chatting with the guy there, he estimated that 80-90% of the people who showed up were not registered. Good job, enumerators. I fill out the paperwork (again), and they send me to line #3: my polling booth to get my ballot. Strike 4.
There is only 2 people in line at my booth, so I get my ballot, and am told to go vote.
Now, the geniuses who set this place up put exactly two polling booths up... for a total of seven polls. Line number four. Strike number 5.
I cast my ballot, and get the hell out of there... only to notice that the line just to get in has stretched to about 50 in the 15 minutes I was there. I realize that this is because some idiot decided that 9AM was a good time to open the polls - two hours after everyone in the suburbs has gone to work. So, the 11 hour voting window is effectively just three on the outskirts, as we all had to get home. Strike six.
The polling clerk said it had been slow throughout the day... I wonder why? It's about to get crazy busy there, and I wonder how many people are going to drive up, see 100 people in line, go "f$%k this" and go home?
The state of Florida could probably run an election better.
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