A Canadian man has made historical past by receiving zero votes in a contested federal election, after working as a part of a protest over the shortage of electoral reforms within the nation.
“After I noticed the outcome, I used to be like: ‘Nicely, I’m the true unity candidate. Everybody agrees to not vote for me,’” Félix-Antoine Hamel informed CBC Information.
Hamel was amongst 84 individuals who listed as a candidate in a latest by-election held in Toronto. He put his title ahead as a candidate after he was approached by the Longest Poll Committee, which works on electoral reform advocacy.
As a key marketing campaign promise, Justin Trudeau promised that if his celebration gained energy, the 2015 federal election can be the final underneath the first-past-the-post system. After his authorities gained a landslide majority, nonetheless, he deserted the promise.
The Longest Poll Committee says the present system skews energy into the palms of events wining a minority of the vote. In protest, the group efficiently put 77 names on the Toronto poll, bringing the whole to 84 and slowing efforts depend votes in Monday’s closely-watched election. Scrutineers have been pressured to sift by way of paper ballots measuring a meter in size: the longest ever in Canadian historical past.
“The weird dimensions of the poll itself meant that some steps took extra time than regular,” an Elections Canada spokesperson mentioned in a press release. “Delays compounded throughout a number of steps over the course of the night time.”
When the outcomes had been finalized, six different candidates acquired two votes every, however Hamel was the candidate one to not obtain a single vote.
Hamel lives tons of of miles away from the electoral district, in Montreal, and since he lives outdoors Toronto, he couldn’t vote for himself.
Earlier federal elections have seen zero-vote outcomes, however in these circumstances, the candidates have been working unopposed and have been thus acclaimed as winners. Hamel’s feat marks the primary time somebody has gained zero votes – and misplaced.
“I’m one of many final individuals that will be anticipated to make Canadian historical past in any approach,” he mentioned.
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