Elections Canada replacement voter cards cause confusion in Winnipeg riding

CTV Winnipeg: Voters mailed separate cards Beth Macdonell on voters in Winnipeg South Centre mailed two separate voter cards informing them to show up at different polling stations.

It’s a tale of two cards and one ballot to cast.

Recently, voters in Winnipeg South Centre were mailed two separate voter cards informing them to show up at two different polling stations.

The double mail-out caused confusion among voters about where they should show up to cast their ballots on October 19.

Katie Helgason received two voter cards; one telling her to go to Earl Grey Community Centre, and another to Harrow United Church.

"Did the location change? What's the difference between this one? Did they make an error? Should I just go to both locations and figure out where the locations actually is?" Helgason said.

The same thing happened to Aaron McDowell.

Both voters were determined to cast a ballot and found the answer online, but McDowell said not everyone will go to the same effort.

“A lot of people aren't like that and they are going to get discouraged and they are not going to vote, and that's bad for democracy," he said.

The second voter card mailed out turned out to be a replacement, meaning Harrow United Church – the second location – is the correct place to vote.

Earl Grey Community Centre said no one actually showed up to vote there because it was never an advance polling station, but added staff have been fielding dozens of calls from confused voters.

Elections Canada couldn’t say exactly how many voters have been affected by the double mail-out.

It said due to operational changes, as the election approaches, it's normal for replacement cards to be delivered.

"It’s not a mix up, actually we have had some changes in polls,” said Elections Canada spokesperson Marie-France Kenny from Regina. “It's a very small number of changes every election, but there are changes."

If someone receives two cards, Elections Canada said to check if the second one says replacement card. If it does, throw the first one away.