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Some ballots fail HST deadline
Some ballots fail HST deadline
Many admit they didn't submit a ballot
News1130 Staff/Canadian Press Aug 05, 2011 06:54:06 AM
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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The decision to keep or nix the controversial HST is now out of your hands.
With the deadline to submit votes reached, Elections BC will now start verifying ballots are from registered voters and adding up results.
By the time Friday's 4:30 p.m. deadline rolled around, many admit they didn't get around to submitting their voting package.
Many were out of luck when staff at the Elections BC drop-off point at City Centre Mall in Vancouver rolled a gate across the entrance at 4:31, and wouldn't let anyone else inside.
Dozens of people slipped their ballots under the gate. They were told their ballots will be sent to Victoria, but won't be counted.
Ian came running through the mall carrying ballots for his whole family, but he was too late.
"I just missed it, like a minute late, I'm a minute too late. So apparently, we can't send this in right now," he says. "My dad, my mom's, and mine, so I guess my dad's going to be pretty upset."
Before the deadline there was a mixed crowd of people dropping off their ballots, including procrastinators, vacationers, cyclists, and people on their lunch breaks. Some even brought their kids.
News1130 spoke with one woman who says she was out-voted two to one; she voted to keep the HST while her son and her husband voted to kill it.
Don Main with Elections BC says the counting process likely won't begin until early next week. "[That's because] we have to open up the yellow package envelopes and verify the certification envelope that it is from a registered voter. Then we continue on with that process."
He adds observers will then watch the process; they will include representatives from the government and opposition, as well as supporters of Fight HST and the Smart Tax Alliance.
The results of the referendum won't be known until August 25th at the earliest. |
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發表於 2011-8-5 20:26
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