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Letter: Concerned about referendum voting process

I submit that the way this whole referendum process is being carried out is a crock.
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I have a number of concerns about the process for the upcoming referendum.

In a REAL election, voters must prove they are eligible to vote by showing their proof of identity and address to the official at the poll. In this referendum, ballots are mailed out. I can think of a number of scenarios whereby the ballots are not completed by eligible voters. As one of your readers pointed out, in multiple housing areas, some people may throw their ballots out. Anyone could pick them out of the recycling or dumpster and use them to vote many times.

In a REAL election, every ballot must be present and accounted for. At the polls, the number of ballots used, not used, and spoiled, must tally with the original number received. The situation in this referendum is absurd — ballots lost in the mail, thrown out, or destroyed by a crooked official — lots of opportunities for fraud.

In a REAL election, the Deputy Returning officer, closely observed by several scrutineers, opens up each ballot so everyone can see it, and when they all agree, the vote is tallied. How is this process going to be handled in this referendum?

All of the above situations could have easily dealt with by having the referendum conducted at the polls for the municipal elections. Timing is obviously not an issue, as the ballots will be mailed out two days [after Oct. 20]. I find this very suspicious.

In fact, I submit that the way this whole referendum process is being carried out is a crock.

Linda Florczyk