Canadian Ban on Broadcasting Any Election Returns Before Western Polls Have Closed Under Attack

November 10th, 2009

This article discusses a Canadian election law that makes it illegal to broadcast election returns during national elections until all the polls are closed in the westernmost part of Canada. With the advent of new methods of communication, the ban no longer works and is largely unenforced. Canada has six time zones, and ballots from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick are mostly counted while the polls are still open in British Columbia and Yukon.

2 Responses to “Canadian Ban on Broadcasting Any Election Returns Before Western Polls Have Closed Under Attack”

  1. Demo Rep Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 5:18 pm

    The MORONS are NOT able to NOT report ANY national results until the polls close in the far west ???

    More New Age really evil stupid stuff — par for the course in this time of more and more MORON govt stuff.

  2. Jim Riley Says:
    November 11th, 2009 at 6:16 am

    Canada staggers closing times for general elections, so that everything in Eastern, Central, and Mountain time zones (Quebec through Alberta) close at the same time, and Pacific (British Columbia and Yukon) closes one half hour later.

    For some reason, the closing time in Atlantic and Newfoundland time zones is actually earlier, so that closing time in the Maritimes is 2 to 2-1/2 hours earlier than the rest of the country. If Elections Canada simply switched to a 9:30 closing time in the Maritimes, and delayed counting for one hour, the problem would be solved.