Ont. legislation targets election tricks
Ontario wants to be sure nasty tricks that surfaced during the federal election this month don't return in the Oct. 6 provincial campaign.
Liberal candidates in Ontario and Manitoba complained during the federal election that voters received harassing calls late at night by people claiming to work for the party.
Elections Canada is also investigating reports a number of people received about mysterious calls on election day that wrongly suggested their local polling station had been moved.
Attorney General Chris Bentley has introduced amendments to Ontario's Elections Act to formally outlaw such campaign stunts.
Bentley introduced legislation on Tuesday, with just six sitting days before the legislature breaks until the Oct. 6 election, that would impose a fine of up to $25,000 and up to two years in jail for such dirty tricks.
The bill would make it illegal to impede or attempt to stop someone from voting by providing false information and to make it illegal to impersonate an election official, a party of party candidate.
