ELECTIONS CHIEF ASKS FOR TEMPORARY LAW TO EASE VOTING

Canada’s chief electoral officer is asking Parliament to quickly pass a temporary law to give Elections Canada the tools it needs to conduct a federal election safely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stephane Perrault wants the law to allow for an election to be held over two weekend days, rather than on the usual Monday. He also wants it to give Elections Canada discretion to decide how to administer the vote safely in long- term care facilities. “While the course of the pandemic is uncertain at this time, there is a very real possibility that a general election will take place while the COVID-19 pandemic remains a concern,” Perrault says in a special report to Parliament, tabled Tuesday.