For some, it’s either double or nothing on the ballot front for Premier Jason Kenney’s leadership review..Some United Conservative Party members are still waiting to receive ballots as the May 11, 5 p.m. deadline approaches for mail-in ballots to be in the hands of Deloitte Canada..Others received their ballots, filled them in, sent them off — then a second ballot arrived..“Just wondering if other UCP voters are getting two ballots. I sent in my first ballot two weeks ago and this came Tuesday,” said Scott Arnold, in one of several similar-themed emails to the Western Standard..Up to 60,000 UCP members are in the processing of voting — or trying to — on Kenney’s fate..The controversial mail-in voting process kicked off April 9. The results will be announced May 18..“I just thought you would be amused to know that my colleague here (another lawyer) received a second UCP leadership ballot. She had already filled in her ballot and mailed it, so she destroyed the second one (of course — we’re lawyers). But there are other people who might not be as scrupulous,” wrote Calgary lawyer Kay Carter..Carter experienced great difficulty when trying to renew her membership..“I am contacting you because I have received a second leadership review ballot and am wondering if anyone is tracking this,” wrote Diane Smart in an email. “Maybe when the dust settle you can address this and those who did not receive a ballot.”.Not to worry about one person’s vote being counted twice. Verification happens at the receiving end, said UCP spokesman Dave Prisco..“Only the first valid ballot package received from a member will be counted. Any other package received after you have been marked as voted will be discarded,” he said..“An example where you might receive two ballots is if you changed your address and asked for your ballot to be re-issued to your new address. If you had a mail forwarding service or a neighbour that sent you your other ballot, then you would have two, but only the first valid ballot package sent back is counted.”.“Another example is if someone spoiled their ballot and asked for a new one to be sent, or they had misplaced the first one and found it later.” .“If a member has not received their ballot yet, we encourage them to email our office with their full name and address so we can re-issue a ballot to them.”.Calgary’s Dominic Bracci won’t be doing that because he already received one too many ballots. .The first arrived last week. Then, to his surprise, another ballot arrived Monday..Bracci hasn’t moved, ever forwarded his mail, or requested that a ballot be sent to him..“Same address, same everything. I sent the first one in. I’m not sending the second in,” said Bracci..“I was trying to figure out why that would happen. The only reason I can think of is I used to be a member and I didn’t renew it. Then for the vote for Kenney, I became a member again. Maybe I’m on two lists.”.“That’s kind of an explanation. The other explanation obviously is cheating.”.He’s trying to give the UCP the benefit of the doubt..“But it also concerns me that maybe the people in Calgary and Edmonton got two ballots and the rural areas didn’t.”.“It just goes to show that if they are disorganized how can they rely on the outcome?”.Meanwhile, John Martineau and his wife Catherine sent an email this week to the UCP asking for their ballots “as soon as possible.”.That was after trying to call and being placed on hold for 30 plus minutes..An early review of Kenney’s leadership resulted from a demand by 22 constituency associations (CAs)..More CAs and several UCP MLAS have since joined the call for Kenney to either resign or kickstart a leadership race. .Despite a unity theme during Kenney’s speech at the April 9 virtual special general meeting, the party remains fractured..Kenney recently said the problem stems from him being too tolerant of dissent..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
For some, it’s either double or nothing on the ballot front for Premier Jason Kenney’s leadership review..Some United Conservative Party members are still waiting to receive ballots as the May 11, 5 p.m. deadline approaches for mail-in ballots to be in the hands of Deloitte Canada..Others received their ballots, filled them in, sent them off — then a second ballot arrived..“Just wondering if other UCP voters are getting two ballots. I sent in my first ballot two weeks ago and this came Tuesday,” said Scott Arnold, in one of several similar-themed emails to the Western Standard..Up to 60,000 UCP members are in the processing of voting — or trying to — on Kenney’s fate..The controversial mail-in voting process kicked off April 9. The results will be announced May 18..“I just thought you would be amused to know that my colleague here (another lawyer) received a second UCP leadership ballot. She had already filled in her ballot and mailed it, so she destroyed the second one (of course — we’re lawyers). But there are other people who might not be as scrupulous,” wrote Calgary lawyer Kay Carter..Carter experienced great difficulty when trying to renew her membership..“I am contacting you because I have received a second leadership review ballot and am wondering if anyone is tracking this,” wrote Diane Smart in an email. “Maybe when the dust settle you can address this and those who did not receive a ballot.”.Not to worry about one person’s vote being counted twice. Verification happens at the receiving end, said UCP spokesman Dave Prisco..“Only the first valid ballot package received from a member will be counted. Any other package received after you have been marked as voted will be discarded,” he said..“An example where you might receive two ballots is if you changed your address and asked for your ballot to be re-issued to your new address. If you had a mail forwarding service or a neighbour that sent you your other ballot, then you would have two, but only the first valid ballot package sent back is counted.”.“Another example is if someone spoiled their ballot and asked for a new one to be sent, or they had misplaced the first one and found it later.” .“If a member has not received their ballot yet, we encourage them to email our office with their full name and address so we can re-issue a ballot to them.”.Calgary’s Dominic Bracci won’t be doing that because he already received one too many ballots. .The first arrived last week. Then, to his surprise, another ballot arrived Monday..Bracci hasn’t moved, ever forwarded his mail, or requested that a ballot be sent to him..“Same address, same everything. I sent the first one in. I’m not sending the second in,” said Bracci..“I was trying to figure out why that would happen. The only reason I can think of is I used to be a member and I didn’t renew it. Then for the vote for Kenney, I became a member again. Maybe I’m on two lists.”.“That’s kind of an explanation. The other explanation obviously is cheating.”.He’s trying to give the UCP the benefit of the doubt..“But it also concerns me that maybe the people in Calgary and Edmonton got two ballots and the rural areas didn’t.”.“It just goes to show that if they are disorganized how can they rely on the outcome?”.Meanwhile, John Martineau and his wife Catherine sent an email this week to the UCP asking for their ballots “as soon as possible.”.That was after trying to call and being placed on hold for 30 plus minutes..An early review of Kenney’s leadership resulted from a demand by 22 constituency associations (CAs)..More CAs and several UCP MLAS have since joined the call for Kenney to either resign or kickstart a leadership race. .Despite a unity theme during Kenney’s speech at the April 9 virtual special general meeting, the party remains fractured..Kenney recently said the problem stems from him being too tolerant of dissent..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com