B’nai Brith Canada is expressing disappointment Elections Canada won’t move the federal election’s date slated for Oct. 21 so it doesn’t interfere with a Jewish holiday.
The holiday, Shemini Atzeret, means Orthodox Jews are not permitted to work, vote or campaign.
Elections Canada said it would be too difficult to move the date at this point.
But B’nai Brith Canada’s Ran Ukashi said the Jewish advocacy group doesn’t feel Elections Canada’s reasoning is sufficient.
“The Elections Canada Act requires Elections Canada to hold an election in just over a month’s notice and at this point, we have 80 days notice,” Ukashi said.
In a recent ruling, the court ordered Canada’s chief electoral officer Stéphane Perrault to take a second look at the decision and balance the infringement on the Charter Rights of affected voters against the objectives of the election law.
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Perrault said it wouldn’t be in the public’s interest to move the date.
He did say Elections Canada will continue to do outreach to the Jewish community in affected ridings to find other ways to help them vote and will look at ways to avoid election days from taking place during the holiday.
Ukashi said the response isn’t helpful as this point.
“It doesn’t really solve our issue now,” he said, noting while advance polling is available, the window is short.
“While preparing for the holiday, do what you can to go out and get the vote.”
Ukashi said B’nai Brith will aim to hold Elections Canada to its word so this kind of conflict doesn’t happen again.
“We’re going to be calling for amendments to the Elections Canada Act so this won’t happen in the future.”
Ukashi said at least 75,000 Orthodox Jews as well as non-Orthodox Jews who still observe the holiday will be impacted.
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