The House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs met to study the actions of the longest ballot committee, which has fielded numerous candidates in recent federal elections to challenge the voting system. Appearing as witnesses were Jean-François Blanchet, Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec, and Jean-Pierre Kingsley, former Chief Electoral Officer of Canada.
Jean-François Blanchet stated that overly long ballots complicate voting logistics, irritate voters, and make it harder for seniors, persons with disabilities, and illiterate people to vote. He recommended prohibiting a person from being the official agent of more than one candidate in the same electoral district, arguing this would demonstrate the seriousness of a candidacy and be easier to enforce than other measures. He noted that Quebec’s Election Act currently has no mechanism to address this problem, and he supported a combination of solutions rather than a single fix.
Jean-Pierre Kingsley agreed that the long ballot initiative disrupts the uniform voting process and undermines the legitimacy of elections. He recommended that each signature on a nomination paper should include a statement that the signatory supports only one candidate, and that there should be only one official agent per riding. He also suggested that witnesses to signatures should be required to sign a statement verifying due diligence, and that penalties for wilful participation should be determined by a court of law. He disagreed with reinstating a $1,000 deposit, preferring a lower amount as a natural barrier, and argued that existing means under the Canada Elections Act, such as joining or forming a political party, already allow citizens to advocate for electoral reform.
On disinformation and artificial intelligence, Blanchet said that Bill 98 in Quebec makes it an offence to knowingly disseminate false information, but noted that enforcement is difficult during an election period and that responsibility for countering disinformation is shared among electoral bodies, media, and candidates. Kingsley added that messages containing AI-generated content should be labelled, the creator identified, and permission obtained from anyone whose image or voice is used, and he suggested that social media platforms should be required to register as third parties under the Canada Elections Act.
In response to questions about signature verification, Kingsley said that returning officers already have an obligation to check signatures, and that technology may make cross-referencing feasible, while Blanchet noted that the goal is not to verify every signature but to conduct checks when there is doubt. Both witnesses agreed that raising the signature requirement to 1,000 would be excessive, and that 100 or 50 signatures remain reasonable numbers that do not unduly burden independent or small-party candidates.
The committee did not engage in procedural debate, motions, or votes during this meeting.
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