Elections Canada responsibilities include:

* Making sure that all voters have access to the electoral system
* Informing citizens about the electoral system
* Maintaining the National Register of Electors
* Enforcing electoral legislation
* Training election officers
* Producing maps of electoral districts
* Registering political parties, electoral district associations, and third parties that engage in election advertising
* Administering the allowances paid to registered political parties
* Monitoring election spending by candidates, political parties and third parties
* Publishing financial information on political parties, electoral district associations, candidates, nomination contestants, leadership contestants and third parties
* Supporting the independent commissions responsible for adjusting the boundaries of federal electoral districts every ten years
* Reporting to Parliament on the administration of elections and referendums

The Canadian House of Commons appoints the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada to head the agency. The Chief Electoral Officer in turn appoints the Commissioner of Canada Elections, who ensures that the Canada Elections Act is enforced; and the Broadcasting Arbitrator, who allocates paid and free broadcasting time during electoral events. The Chief Electoral Officer is seconded by the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer and Chief Legal Counsel and a staff of some 330 representing five executive directorates. During an election, staff at Elections Canada headquarters increases to 600 and to approximately 190,000 across Canada.

According to ACE, the Electorial Knowledge Network–Elections Canada is a non-partisan organization responsible for the conduct of federal general elections, by-elections and referendums. The organization’s primary goal is to present all Canadian citizens with the opportunity to participate in transparent and impartial elections and referendums. By training election officers, enforcing electoral laws and disseminating electoral information to Canadian citizens, Elections Canada is constantly striving to create a more democratic electoral system.

Elections Canada has a lot to answer to Canadian Citizens. [ arriving at the Conservative headquarters with police and media with them - a definite feeling in some minds that this parliamentary appointed entity is not heeding their non-partisan mandate - their questionable training of staff as many seem not to know what they are doing, as evidenced by readers of blogs within these threads - and the list could go on.] But, never mind the election procedures, let’s fast forward to the recounts either automatically done or requested.

I maintain that the rules are too open to choice and interpretation. One blanket assertion as to procedure should be the way to operate. Not multiple choice  ( as in you can either do this, this or this) as is evident this weekend after witnessing the outcome of the recount in Vancouver South. It is alleged that only 28 boxes were counted. There were over 100 boxes to be dealt with. Apparently it all stopped at 28 boxes. Why?

The recount was working it’s way through and the numbers were dwindling.  On this basis alone,  you would think then that all boxes would and should have come into play. That being, all counted.

There were also allegations of too many people voting for the number allowed. Why was this not picked up and talked about or presented as a concern by Returning Officers?

Red flags are up all over the place  and one would hope that because of this, a recount should be done which includes all boxes, and other ballots that were deemed unacceptable.

In a judicial recount it is all left up to the whim and discretion of the presiding jurist. Canadians expect then that this person will wear an impartial hat and go out of their way to be clear to Canadians as to the procedure used and why. This way no doubt is left. As I said before, in my opinion, Jurist discretion should not be an option. Clear blanket rules should apply across the board.
Presently this is the rule.

304. (1) The judge shall conduct the recount by adding the number of votes reported in statements of the vote or by counting the valid ballots or all of the ballots returned by the deputy returning officers or the Chief Electoral Officer.

(3) At a recount, the judge shall

(a) count the ballots in the manner prescribed for a deputy returning officer or a special ballot officer;

(b) verify or correct, if necessary, each statement of the vote, and

From Part 12 describing the counting of the ballots by a deputy returning officer:

283. (3)

(f) examine each ballot, show the ballot to each person who is present…

If Egmont in Prince Edward Island can count all boxes and spoiled ballots for all candidates. Why is this not done in every jurisdiction. The Quebec recount has not shown any dust up of complaints. This is amazing as there were missing advance poll ballot boxes and a fear that they had been tampered with.

I have heard complaints about the way the Vancouver South recount was handled from the instant results of it came to a blog or radio program near you. Make no mistake, concern is out there, even if you did not see it plastered in the newspapers or in the media on the weekend.

It is not too late to make amends.

Let calmer heads ponder this in the next day or two and come up with a recount.

UPDATE: Wai of Vancouver South is appealing in a B.C. Court on Thursday.  See comments and story over at Blue Like You.

Joanne at “Blue Like You” has voiced her frustration about accountability to the electorate in this comment thread.

“Something seems to be missing in this whole process – accountability to the electorate.

We don’t seem to be able to get the answers we want. Elections Canada is almost this elite organization that we are not even supposed to question or else it is like heresy.

I am getting more disgusted by the hour.”

In conclusion then, it would appear that we do not have much control over the recount situation, but we do have a very distinct avenue to go through to request change to Elections Canada.

What can we do?

VOICE YOUR CONCERN TO YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT about ELECTIONS CANADA, before he or she leaves for Ottawa. Tell them we feel it needs to be looked at immediately and revamped at this parliamentary session in the name of Canadian democracy.

Quiet voices cannot help to make change. Loud ones can.