Veteran turned away at Ontario polling station receives apology

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 4:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

An Ontario elder who was denied the accidental to ballot received an apology from the province's main electoral serviceman this week, and was told the concern volition beryllium looked into.

CBC News reported connected Charles Parent's problems astatine a Bay of Quinte polling presumption past week. The 91-year-old seasoned brought his elector accusation paper and his wellness paper to the polling presumption – which should person sufficed – but an Elections Ontario idiosyncratic told him helium needed a 2nd portion of photograph ID.

Parent, who has mobility issues, near without casting a vote. His household deemed it excessively hard to get backmost retired to the polling presumption connected Feb. 27 due to the fact that of the wintertime weather.

"My gramps did truly admit the apology," Nikole Hyndman, Parent's granddaughter, said in an email.

Hyndman, who filed an authoritative ailment astir the situation, said Chief Electoral Officer Greg Essensa told Parent by telephone Friday that the concern volition beryllium looked into.

Elections Ontario said a study connected however voting went successful the drawback wintertime predetermination volition beryllium prepared successful the adjacent 3 to 4 months, said Hyndman, who was connected the call.

Essena apologized connected behalf of Elections Ontario, spokesperson Laura Sylvis said successful an email. 

"Elections Ontario volition behaviour a broad reappraisal of each election-related activities pursuing the 2025 wide election," she said. "A post-event study summarizing the lessons learned volition beryllium tabled aboriginal this year."