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Email this2:41 am
November 18, 2017
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If you have an accountant file (paper or Efile) your return, they will often enter their address for replies. This ensures the accountant will see the final treatment of your return, but many people end up wondering where their return (and refund, if not direct deposit) went because their accounting firm is lazy, understaffed or overwhelmed by tax season.
This leads to another problem: if the little box (page 2, I think) asking if you want your electoral information updated is check-marked, Elections Canada will transfer your registration to the accountant's address, usually not in the same poll (Voting Area) or riding (Electoral District). That's a problem because in no circumstance will you be permitted to vote in the wrong poll or riding, and your ID will be checked. If you notice, you can correct that even on voting day, but if you vote late in the day and you haven't time to get to the correct poll, you'll lose your vote!
Accountants' offices are regularly deluged by voter cards from their clients, and it's a burden on them to notify their clients to correct their registration. For some reason, somebody in the work chain often check-marks those little boxes.
If you are living in the same place as your last voting, DO NOT check that box anyway! A Returning Office worker explained to me that It causes the existing data to be erased, and the new data is hand-entered, introducing errors. Of course, check that you are properly registered before every election anyway.
Remember that most election workers are temps who only work for a couple of weeks at most, often with years in between stints, and the rules and systems keep changing too. Even if entry errors are rare, with millions of voters to keep track of, there are always many, and some people will lose their vote.
Bottom line: don't check that box, tell your accountant to not change your address, and always check your voter registration.
RetirEd
RetirEd
7:01 am
March 15, 2019
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Good point.
Also, I think the government uses the voter's list to select potential jurors. Your accountant might end up in court. LOL!
7:25 am
January 9, 2011
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Very interesting! I never would have known those things.
The idea of erasing valid voting information for manual re-input of the very same information for no reason is a quintessential example of government waste of time and money. And there's no warning not to tick a box when its not necessary.
In fact my tax program gives NO indication that it is possible to avoid wasting this time and temp salaries, it says the opposite as if I won't be on any voting list if I don't tick it !
" B) As a Canadian citizen, do you authorize the CRA to give your name, address, date of birth, and citizenship to Elections Canada to update the National Register of Electors or, if you are 14 to 17 years of age, the Register of Future Electors?
1 Yes 2 No
Your authorization is valid until you file your next tax return. Your information will only be used for purposes permitted under the Canada Elections Act, which include sharing lists of electors produced from the National Register of Electors with provincial and territorial electoral agencies, members of Parliament, registered and eligible political parties, and candidates at election time. "
It never fails. Over time, coming to this forum results in learning something interesting/valuable !
"Keep your stick on the ice. Remember, I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together." - Red Green
7:53 am
October 21, 2018
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Very interesting. I do income tax for family members. Several years ago, my wife's sister was paying for a tax firm to do hers, so I volunteered to do it for her to save her some money. She sent me her copy of the previous year's return and I was surprised to see that they had NOT checked off that Elections Canada box. I changed that when I filed her return that year and I never understood why they would not have checked off that option. Now I can see why. They were doing the right thing. Thanks for posting this.
7:18 pm
December 12, 2009
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I have stopped sharing my information with the National Register of Electors for another reason—it's tied in with provincial voters list, which typically will want to see your provincial government ID that has your full first name and middle name. CRA, on the other hand, allows for shortened versions of names and no middle name, but if the provincial voters list submits your information back to the National Register of Electors and, in turn, the CRA, it overrides what the CRA has on file. Fortunately, the CRA and Service Canada were quite friendly and promptly removed my middle name and shortened my name to 'Doug' with a quick phone call. 🙂
Of course, if you want to avoid all that, you could still share your information with the National Register of Electors and just make sure you show two pieces of non-photo ID that bear your shortened name. 🙂
Cheers,
Doug
12:58 pm
November 18, 2017
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COIN: Indeed, avoiding jury duty is a popular excuse for not voting. It's not reasonable - you can register at your voting place on election day, or even vote at your local Returning Office, without leaving your name on the lists for the future. On the other hand, removing your own name from the lists requires a letter to Elections Canada. I surmise that's to stop malicious types from removing other people's names. Partisan actors are always looking for ways to stop people they think oppose them from voting.
RetirEd
RetirEd
6:10 pm
March 15, 2019
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RetirEd said
COIN: Indeed, avoiding jury duty is a popular excuse for not voting. It's not reasonable
RetirEd
I have mixed feelings about jury duty. I guess as good citizens we should all serve on juries when called (and also vote) but one of my co-workers lost two weeks of her life serving on a jury. Maybe juries should have volunteers?
Anyway, not a subject on how to earn higher interest income.
10:05 pm
April 14, 2021
Online
COIN said
I have mixed feelings about jury duty. I guess as good citizens we should all serve on juries when called (and also vote) but one of my co-workers lost two weeks of her life serving on a jury. Maybe juries should have volunteers?
I almost got selected for one scheduled for 8 months; dodged that bullet.
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