XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, mtl.general   
   From: tw1161331@tweaknews.eu   
      
   CBC News Posted: Feb 23, 2015   
      
      
   Elections Act changes challenged by Council of Canadians, students group   
   Groups say challenge to voter ID and vouching changes needs to be heard before   
   2015 election   
      
      
   Two national organizations are asking an Ontario court to overturn changes   
   made to Canadian election law last year, and say they want the case to be   
   heard before Canadians go to the polls on Oct. 19.   
      
   The Council of Canadians and the Canadian Federation of Students say changes   
   enacted by the Conservative government's Fair Elections Act will make it   
   harder for tens of thousands of people to vote.   
      
       Former B.C. election chief warns problems remain in Fair Elections Act   
      
   The groups add that new voter identification rules contravene Section 3 of the   
   charter, which states everyone has the right to vote, as well as the equality   
   provisions in the Constitution.   
      
   Steven Shrybman, the lawyer representing the two organizations, said Monday   
   the groups are asking the Ontario Superior Court to speed up the process so it   
   can hear the case before this year's election, which must be held by   
   mid-October but could come sooner.   
      
   Shrybman said he's prepared to ask for an injunction to prevent the new rules   
   from being implemented for the 2015 election if the court can't hear the case   
   before the campaign begins.   
      
   The Council of Canadians has challenged the Conservatives in the past, notably   
   assisting a group of voters in bringing a Federal Court case in 2012 that   
   tried to annul the election of six Conservative MPs. The organization lost the   
   challenge and in 2013 declined to appeal to the Supreme Court.   
      
   Bill C-23, which the government named the Fair Elections Act, changed the   
   polling station identification requirements and removed an option that let a   
   voter vouch for another who didn't have photo ID that also listed his or her   
   address.   
      
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