To whom it may concern, regarding the last election on May 2nd.
I am writing this letter to you, and to the country at large, to voice my disappointment at not being able to cast my ballot in the federal election that just passed, despite my efforts to do so.
I am currently studying abroad in the United Kingdom, and when I heard from home about the federal election to be held in May, I specifically requested information on how I could still take part in the voting process, even though I'm not at home.
After receiving said information, I set out to complete the application process and follow all deadlines accordingly; I sent out my application, as well as photocopies of the required documents, on the 10th of April, 2011, 16 days before the deadline of April 26th. I sent the parcel via First Class Royal Mail, ensuring it would be delivered to your offices at high speed.
I have more than enough reason to believe that if there was a problem on the side of the Royal Mail, my parcel would have returned to my flat with some kind of indication as to why.
As such, I had checked my post every possible day afterward, to find the voting kit I had sent for, or even a letter telling me that I wasn't able to vote for whatever reason. I found nothing. I had taken steps to provide more than enough time to receive my ballot and send it back, and I received nothing.
I feel let down. I am deeply interested in being a contributing member of Canadian society, no matter where in the world I am. It doesn't matter to me that my vote may or may not have made a difference to the election's results. What matters to me is the fact that as a young [and abroad] voter, which is very rare in the current state of things, I feel either disregarded or not taken seriously.
What I do not understand is why voting ballots, especially those sent overseas, are not taken care of with first class post or another high-priority equivalent. The post system takes a long time, and because there was no way to vote online (which would have been much faster), these things probably should have been considered when setting deadlines.
Next time an election is held, I sincerely hope that those who request a ballot from outside of Canada do receive one. And if they do not, I hope they voice this fact.
Sincerely,
Sabrina Elizabeth Belfast.
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