Prison no place for a campaign
Victoria resident and federal-politicial hopeful Raphael Louis got off to a bad start.
The head of the Civil Rights Party of Canada aimed to be prime minister by 2020.
Instead of campaigning for a seat in the House of Commons, however, Louis is behind bars.
On March 7, he was sentenced to three years in jail for tax fraud.
As the secretary general for the Federal Association for the Advancement of Visible Minorities, he filed false GST returns for himself and the organization totaling $8.82 million in 2007.
His party is not registered with Elections Canada..
Western Block only party with roots in B.C.
There are 19 registered federal political parties in Canada, the vast majority of which are headquartered in Ontario or Quebec.
Party headquarters west of Ontario, however, number only two: Winnipeg-based People’s Political Power Party of Canada and the Victoria-based Western Block Party.
“Western alienation” is what leader Doug Christie takes as a premise for his separatist agenda.
Christie has practised law in Victoria for 38 years, and founded the party in 2002. He ran in the 2009 provincial election in the Saanich South electoral district.
How you can vote
Any Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old, can vote in the May 2 federal election, as long as they are registered.
On election day, May 2, eligible voters can mark their ballots between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at their local polling station, whose addresses will be made available April 8. Advanced polling days are April 22, April 23 and April 25 from noon to 8 p.m.
All registered electors will receive a voter information card in the mail. Those unregistered may do so online at www.elections.ca, or at the polling station by providing identification which states a home address.
Those without proper identification can still vote by swearing an oath and having someone vouch for them.