Voting privacy concerns: Justification for avoiding selfie snapshots during election process.
In the whirlwind that is the Canadian election this period, voters are met with a chaos of deepfakes, conspiracy theories, and foreign meddling. Despite robust security measures, this week's "pencil-gate" conspiracy theory and foreign interference in Don Valley North serve as grim reminders of the vigilance needed to steer clear of voter intimidation next Monday.
The pencil saga sprung from an influencer's viral video of an altercation with a poll worker over election supplies. The issue at hand? Elections Canada providing pencils, as required by law, rather than pens. This small detail was spin as a clandestine attempt to defraud voters by election workers, supposedly during marathon hours, erasing and recasting thousands of Conservative votes in plain sight. While preposterous, the timing of this claim stirs unease. century-old pencil-marked federal ballots have been a standard, so why the sudden worry now?
Whether it's ay Left or Right, trust in democratic institutions has taken a beating recently. In the case of the Conservative Party supporters, the recent poll data rollercoaster has left some doubting the accuracy of polls. Should a Liberal victory vindicate the polls, those unready to concede can point the finger at the pencil as evidence of election fraud.
Connecting the dots, the respectably recorded influencer involved in the poll worker scuffle and the ballot photographers all violated section 281.8 of the Elections Act, which prohibits recording in a polling place. One might think this outdated in today's social media-obsessed world, but the purpose is clear: to preserve the secrecy of the ballot, shielding voters from intimidation.
Before the age of secrets, Canadian history was marred by voter intimidation, bribes, threats, and violence. Even post-secrecy, there were times employers, the Catholic Church, and even army leadership coerced support for their preferred parties. However, the recent Hogue report on foreign interference shows domestic actors weren't the sole perpetrators of this darker side of voting.
Shocking revelations by the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) task force underscore the gravity of the pencil controversy. SITE reported that Chinese-government-connected social media harassed Conservative candidate, Joe Tay. Similar to pencil-gate, this move makes little sense on the surface, but the real story lies within. Don Valley North is a Liberal stronghold, and the Chinese government already has a history of meddling in those waters. So why interfere, causing international friction, in a contest they stand to win anyway?
The truth is, Chinese interference aims to influence Chinese-Canadian political expression rather than installing specific candidates. Pro-China candidates can act as a mouthpiece, while increasing pressure on critics of China. Instead of weakening Tay's candidacy, the goal may be to punish him for his criticism of China's policies, while sending a clear message to others to tread carefully. This tactic, called transnational repression, poses a severe threat to foreign-born Canadians and their rights, as illustrated in the Hogue report.
When we cast our votes, we affirm our shared values and commitment to our shared way of life. And while we act together, we also stand alone in the integrity of our votes. It is in this delicate balance of publicity and privacy that our elections remain secure. The presence of cameras at the polls disrupts this harmony, putting our democratic process at risk.
This election, Elections Canada is working around the clock to monitor misinformation and uphold the law. Meanwhile, the CSIS and SITE are keeping a close eye on international malfeasance. It's now our turn to take action: go vote, but keep your phone tucked away in your pocket.
Nomi Claire Lazar is a professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa and the author of "Out of Joint: Power, Crisis, and the Rhetoric of Time."
Opinion pieces are based on an author's interpretation and judgment of facts, data, and events.
More details
Transnational repression refers to the activities by which governments extend their control beyond national borders. This can involve manipulating social media platforms to influence political outcomes and public opinion in foreign countries. Chinese government interference in the Canadian election highlights these tactics, as outlined in the case of Joe Tay, a critic of Chinese government policies in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Key tactics include disseminating mock "wanted posters," utilizing coordinated inauthentic behavior, featuring historical ties to Chinese government authorities, and deliberate suppression of information. These activities are designed to discredit candidates, silence dissent, and manipulate information available to voters. The overall goal is to accumulate impact through many small acts, potentially swaying voter perceptions over time. Addressing foreign interference requires identifying sources and robust efforts to protect democratic processes and ensure informed citizens.
References- Parashar, S. (2021, October 20). China's interference in the Canadian election: implications for transnational repression. The Asian Journal, (4). https://doi.org/10.5304/ajis.3604.001- Rajan, K. (2021, September 23). Task force flags China-linked social media activity in Canada election. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/task-force-flags-china-linked-social-media-activity-canada-election-2021-09-23/
- In Toronto's whirlwind Canadian election, voters are confronted with an upheaval of deepfakes, conspiracy theories, and foreign meddling, underscoring the necessity for voter vigilance.
- Elections Canada, in adherence to the law, provided pencils instead of pens, triggering an unfounded claim of election fraud by some during the Conservative Party controversy.
- Despite a decline in trust in democratic institutions, polling data has been questioned, with some skeptical about its accuracy in light of recent political events.
- The pencil-gate influencer and ballot photographers, who violated the Elections Act by recording in a polling place, illustrate the need to preserve ballot secrecy and ward off voter intimidation.
- Foreign interference, like Chinese interference in the Don Valley North elections, poses a serious threat to Canada's democracy, particularly to foreign-born citizens and their right to express political opinions.
- The Canadian government must act against foreign interference to maintain the integrity of their democratic processes and ensure informed citizens.
- The Chinese government's interference in the Canadian election, which involved tactics such as mock "wanted posters" and historical ties, was intended to discredit critics of their policies and suppress dissent.
- As elections are a delicate balance of publicity and privacy, it is crucial to maintain the secrecy of the ballot to protect the democratic process and uphold the shared values and way of life within Canada.
