New Developments Cast Doubt on PC Voter Fraud Denials

Three new late-night developments have shredded the PC party’s initial claims that misdirecting PC letters were just a simple volunteer error in one campaign.

1.    After refusing to admit any central PC campaign involvement, PC spokesperson Will Stewart admitted last night that the Toronto head office organized the mailings – not local volunteers as originally claimed yesterday.  He also admitted that “tens of thousands” of letters were sent. (Ottawa Citizen, June 10, 2014)

2.    We now know Chris Rougier, who was the Harper Conservatives’ voter contact director in the 2011 election, now does the same job for Hudak’s PCs.  Rougier testified last week in the Guelph robocall trial. (Ottawa Citizen, June 10, 2014)

3.    Last night on CP24, Tim Hudak falsely claimed that the misleading PC letters were clearly labelled as coming from the PC Party on PC letterhead – both statements are absolutely false.  None of the letters contained any PC identifiers whatsoever.

Ontario Liberals are demanding answers from Tim Hudak and launching a new hotline to help voters report election fraud.  Voters who are subjected to fraudulent calls and misleading information can phone 1-647-341-6754 for assistance.

The PCs were caught misdirecting voters by sending letters to both London and Ottawa from the same postal centre in Toronto.  Both letters went to Liberal supporters and are virtually identical to a PC Party letter that misdirected voters in the Niagara Falls by-election last February.

Scarborough Centre Liberal Candidate Brad Duguid demanded answers from Tim Hudak on the following questions:

1.    Now that your Party has been caught misdirecting voters in three different ridings, will you tell us what other ridings have been sent PC letters with incorrect voting information?

2.    Will you immediately tell PC staff to stop sending the erroneous letters?

3.    Will you co-operate with Elections Ontario’s investigation, and provide all documentation of any illegal voter suppression tactics conducted by the PC campaign?

“This is deeply troubling, we’re talking about suspected voter suppression in the Ontario election at the same time as the federal Conservative robocall scandal is before the courts,” said Duguid.  “Tim Hudak has not explained how the same misleading letter was sent out in at least three ridings, or provided clear assurances that this won’t happen again.”

“This is going to be one of the tightest votes in Ontario’s history.  We could be in a position where literally a few hundred votes could make the difference in who becomes Premier,” said Duguid.  “Even the slightest hint of voter suppression is worrisome, but to learn that the PCs provided voters with entirely incorrect information is extremely alarming.”

“Ontarians deserve answers from Tim Hudak,” concluded Duguid.

Ontario’s Elections Act imposes fines of up to $25,000 and two years less a day in prison for anyone caught trying to stop Ontarians from voting.

In Ontario it is illegal to:

• Impede or attempt to stop a citizen from voting by providing false information directly or indirectly, such as providing voters with incorrect information on the polling station where they would be voting in a provincial election
• Impersonate an agent or representative of Elections Ontario, a provincial candidate, or a representative of a candidate, political party or constituency association 
• Direct or hire someone or a company to commit the above offences.

Follow up letter: Second Ottawa West-Nepean voter receives pc vote suppression letter >>