Elections Canada error: Yukoners told to vote 590km from home

Elections Canada says it's fixing a series of errors in Yukon. More than 300 Yukoners will require new Voter Information Cards.

Some residents recently received cards directing them to polling stations in communities hundreds of kilometres away. For example, some voters in Watson Lake were directed to vote in Haines Junction, 590 kilometres away. In Whitehorse, some people were instructed to go to Dawson City, 532 kilometres away.

Staff from Yukon's four federal campaigns met with Elections Canada representatives in Whitehorse earlier this week. They were given a letter from Yukon's returning officer, Sue Edelman.

"We have found some new anomalies on the list and we have sent out new VIC (voter information cards) to the affected electors," the letter reads.

Edelman's letter pointed to anomalies even around Whitehorse, saying some residents of the Marsh Lake area were directed to vote in the Mount Lorne subdivision, which is about 60 kilometres away.

'Sometimes things can happen': Elections Canada

Diane Benson, a spokesperson for Elections Canada, said the agency distributes more than 26 million information cards. 

"I think in any election, which can be a very complex process of mapping everything, sometimes things can happen where we need to make corrections."

More than 300 people in Yukon will be receiving new cards. Benson says they'll have a message printed on them saying they are a corrected version. 

Benson said any other voters with concerns should call their local returning officer.  

"If you're registered but the address doesn't seem right, we certainly want to hear from you," she said. 

She urges people not to wait, however. Corrected information cards need to be mailed by Oct. 13.

"That's the window of time where we can make the corrections. We are really trying to do that right now," Benson said. 

Benson adds that all voters can still choose to cast a ballot until October 13 by visiting their local returning office.