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    Canada Politics

    Harper Tories most popular choice of incarcerated individuals, military personnel

    Note: An earlier version of this post noted Tories were the most popular choice of incarcerated individuals.

    Elections Canada, however, does not publish figures to show how prisoners voted exclusively, according to the referenced article.  Instead, their votes are lumped in with other special ballots cast by Canadians living abroad and Canadian Forces members stationed away from their home ridings.

    Those who have been convicted of a criminal activity and military personnel living outside their ridings voted in large numbers for the "tough-on-crime" Harper Conservatives in the last election.

    A story in the Ottawa Citizen reported more than 17,000 incarcerated citizens cast ballots for the May 2 election, a 27 per cent increase from the 2008 election.

    Elections Canada does not publish figures to show how prisoners voted, according to the article.  Instead, their votes are lumped in with other special ballots cast by Canadians living abroad and Canadian Forces members stationed away from their home ridings.

    Collectively, 46 per cent of that group voted for the Conservatives, 29 per cent for the Liberals and just 15 per cent for the New Democrats.

    In Canada, prisoners were granted the right to vote in 2002 when the Supreme Court ruled disenfranchising incarcerated electors violated Section 3 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    (Getty Images)

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    172 comments

    • Naymar  •  8 months ago
      Hawhaw

      Why is it that those who are the most critical are the dumbest? Your statement is completely illogical and childish.
    • Mr T.  •  8 months ago
      Surprising? Not really - birds of a feather.

      Some commit crime and get caught. Others commit crime and don't get caught. Others commit crime and get away with it even though it's a known fact. However we won't mention any names, since the last lot are first to sue.
    • BLAXEL  •  8 months ago
      Mothonaflame

      I have to admit you do make propaganda trash look quite intelligent. While some of this makes sense(very little) Many Canadians are getting tired of the bleeding heart approach, because it has only caused hardened criminals to look at us a fools and believe me criminals have no use for coddlers. In the past We've treat druggies like it's a right to go out and kill little old ladies and parents children to shoot 30 bucks worth of poison into their bodies. I hit a very harsh bottom in my life that enabled me to crawl back into society as a responsible citizen with a positive outlook on life. If I'd of had more coddling I'd be dead today. 'There's a sucker born every day"
    • BLAXEL  •  8 months ago
      Aj
      Prisons should be for repeat violent offenders. rapists and child molesters. So if I have to pay
      for these kind of people,(not thieves,or pot smokers) to be excluded from society I will dig as deep as I can to lock up these asssholes forever without one complaint about paying my taxes for it.
    • BLAXEL  •  8 months ago
      Aj
      Prisons should be for repeat violent offenders. rapists and child molesters. So in I have to pay for these kinds of people,(not thieves,or pot smokers) I will dig as deep as I can to lock up these asssholes forever without a co,plaint about paying my taxes for it.
    • aj  •  8 months ago
      Theres only one system for all...get caught outside the system, you gotta do the time. Too many getting caught and not enough room for all, so making more room give gov't the go ahead to dig deeper into tax payers pockets...By the way prisons is a multi billion dollar buisness...
    • jeff  •  8 months ago
      Go Harper! You the man! Get Canada out of this rut!
    • BLAXEL  •  8 months ago
      Mothonaflame

      I have to admit you do make propaganda trash look quite intelligent. While some of this makes sense(very little) Many Canadians are getting tired of the bleeding heart approach, because it has only caused hardened criminals to look at us a fools and believe me criminals have no use for coddlers. In the past We've treat druggies like it's a right to go out and kill little old ladies and parents children to shoot 30 bucks worth of poison into their bodies. I hit a very harsh bottom in my life that enabled me to crawl back into society as a responsible citizen with a positive outlook on life. If I'd of had more coddling I'd be dead today. 'There's a sucker born every day"
    • BLAXEL  •  8 months ago
      Casa B
      That has to be one of the most illogical statements I've ever heard.
    • CasaB  •  8 months ago
      its because those who commit crimes are mostly conservative-narrow minded people, and are poor.
      for some reason the poor continuously vote against their economic interests and decide to vote conservative...
      • Joey. 8 months ago
        Are you just pretending to be an idiot CasaB, or are you for real?
      • MM_cali 8 months ago
        are you a moron. almost everything you expressed is inaccurate.
    • A Yahoo User  •  8 months ago
      Under Harper the Rapists and Murderers know that they will have plenty of dope smokers and abortionists to play with... THAT is why...
      • BLAXEL 8 months ago
        WOW! such intelligent insight!
      • Hartcard 8 months ago
        CAN YOU RELATE SARGON?
    • voice of reason  •  8 months ago
      "Great minds thinks alike" says it all
      • BLAXEL 8 months ago
        Yes that's very true, so what's your excuse?
      • Joey. 8 months ago
        Voice Of Reason doesn't even know basic English grammar... geez. That gives you an idea what she is. Shiver me timbers, me thinks she's not very smart herself.
    • Alice  •  8 months ago
      That's because they're dumb. Also the reason they're jailed.
    • Tonto  •  8 months ago
      who was the dumb-ass bleeding heart Liberal that decided the criminals of our Prison system should have the right to vote?!! If you can't do the time don't do the crime !!! Probably the same Liberals that said Abortion (killing children) and same-sex marriage (puke) was okay. We live in a sick society, who's motto is "if it feels good do it". We will all pay for that someday soon.
      • Thomas 8 months ago
        you are retarded.
      • Commonsensecanadian 8 months ago
        If they were dumb-asses they would have voted NDP......
      • chelsah sigurdson 8 months ago
        If you had any sense you would realize that gay marriage and abortion is the LEAST of anyones problems. But no, like many programmed by mass media propaganda and the right left paradigm lies, you my sheeple friend, will continue to be distracted by these "issues." It makes their agenda's run smoother, you know, in GOD we trust: GOLD OIL & DRUGS. Wake the fuck up.
    • Naymar  •  8 months ago
      PLEASE DON'T TICKLE ME

      Why do you forever criticize Harper on everything he does with lack of common sense. If he did the opposite in what your protesting you's be on his case too. Where does intelligence and common to light for you? Sorry I forgot your full of HORSE SENSE! You have to stand for something, so quit contridicting your own comments.
    • ..  •  8 months ago
      Proof again, that uneducated people, vote conservative. Why? Because they don't know any better. Then again, isnt their loyalty amongst theives, that goes for all politicians in general.
      • Naymar 8 months ago
        Another very dumb statement that has no truth, or logic, whatsoever.
    • hawhaw  •  8 months ago
      Once again all the simple folk are here bleating about how "luxurious" Prisons are. All these statements are made by people who have been nowhere near a Prison in their lives and just simply believe what they hear from their equally uninformed pals. Prisons are scary, dirty horrible places, even the best of them.

      As for prisoners voting for the Reform Party, most are simple-minded and uneducated and think in black&white paradigms, like the average Reform party voter....so no big suprise there.

      Voting is a RIGHT not a priviledge.. a Right it is a human right. Prisoners are humans. The Rights of the lowest are the Rights of us all. Be careful whose Rights you want to take away.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  8 months ago
      I really would like to know how this reporter got the information about how the votes were given to what party...last time I checked no one can say who voted for who unless the reporter asked the 17,000 prisoners who they voted for...what a waste of time...really
    • Road Closed  •  8 months ago
      Some you you seem to think that prisners in federal instutions don't like being there, in most cases prision is their careers, of course vote for the party which make improvements to your career, Wouldn't you?
    • Jim  •  8 months ago
      That's known as supporting the hand that feeds you...

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