Elections Montreal criticized for low-quality online photos of Black candidates

A candidate for city councillor in NDG-CDN says the photos of non-white candidates on election ballots are not of good quality.

Carol-Ann Hoyte is running for city council in Cotes-des-Neiges as a member of Transition Montreal, but she barely recognized herself in her headshot on the Elections Montreal website.

“This is in black and white, which is not really favourable to Black and brown candidates,” she told CTV News.

It’s a different appearance to her photo on electoral signs that are seen all around the area she is running, which is properly lit.

As she kept scrolling, she noticed other candidates of colour also had poor photographs, but the photos of the white candidates had much better quality.

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“They turned out so dark that you couldn’t see people’s facial lines and, like, the subtleties in their face,” Hoyte explained.

“You cannot treat their photos the same way as when they’re photos of white people, because even the lighting or how you scan it, or if it’s black and white, all those things matter.”

The error likely happened because of the way Elections Montreal scanned every candidate’s photo, which were either submitted by the candidates themselves or the party.

In a statement, Elections Montreal said this was a pilot project and that work is underway to fix the appearance of the photos.

“If this processing remains inconclusive in terms of web presentation, we do not rule out the possibility of requesting a photo in a different format,” reads part of the statement.

But Hoyte fears that damage is being done ahead of election day.

Headshots for candidates are an imperative first impression on voters.

“If someone’s face looks threatening or aggressive or menacing, then how can you expect voters to then go further to find out what these people stand for and who they really are?”

According to political analyst Justine McIntyre, appearance is critical for candidates during an election.

“When you see a discrepancy in the photos and the way the photos are presented, it can look unprofessional. It can look botched, like something that was done at the last minute. And it can contribute to a negative opinion of that candidate,” she explained.

Elections Montreal said this year is the first time candidates in Montreal will have their pictures on the ballot.

The election will be held on Nov. 2.