Quebec man fined for voting twice in 2019 federal election
A Quebec man voted twice in the 2019 general election, according to an investigation by Canada’s elections watchdog.
David Gilchrist was fined $1,250 for what he reportedly described as an attempt to test the electoral system. According to a report by the Commissioner of Canada Elections, he admitted to two Elections Canada officials in October 2019 that he voted by special ballot in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount riding, and again using his father’s voter information card at an advance poll in the St-Laurent riding.
The report states that Gilchrist previously worked as an elections official in “several municipal, provincial and federal elections” and had above-average knowledge of the electoral system. He told investigators he voted twice “with the intention to test the electoral system.”
Gilchrist’s fine is one of 12 the commissioner announced this month.
The monthly report also says someone who was not a Canadian citizen received a special ballot, and Elections Canada had reasonable grounds to believe he intended to vote when not eligible.
The agency says Qinan Feng called Elections Canada in September 2021, saying he received a special ballot that he never ordered. Feng also told the RCMP that an “unidentified person” fraudulently used his personal information to order the special ballot, according to the report.
Feng alleged this same unidentified person tried to steal the ballot when it arrived in the mail.
Elections Canada says its investigators ultimately determined these stories were false. It fined Feng $1,250 for allegedly trying to vote when not eligible and providing false or misleading information to the RCMP and Elections Canada.
The report does not name the electoral district in which Feng resides. A spokesperson for the commissioner said he tried to vote in Richmond Centre in B.C.
Nine $300 fines were issued to People’s Party of Canada (PPC) financial agents for failing to submit financial returns for their various riding associations.
And a $1,500 fine was issued to a group called the Canadian Voters Association, which posted a report titled “Election 2021: Report on Democracy” on the website 300k.ca.
According to Elections Canada, the report “clearly promoted the PPC” through colours used in the report and an emphasis on PPC leader Maxime Bernier.
The website 300k.ca appears to no longer be active, so CBC has been unable to view this report.
Elections Canada issued the Canadian Voters Association a $1,500 fine for failing to register as a third party for the 2021 election.
