CANADIANS who have lived in Panama for more than five years, and are unable to vote in Federal elections, have, along with over a million fellow countrymen living elsewhere, have long looked with envy at their erstwhile neighbors from the other side of the world’s longest undefended border who have right to cast a vote to help decide who sits in the White House.
In Panama Democrats Abroad and Republicans maintain active organizations. And usually stage a debate prior to the elections to argue the merits of their respective candidates. The Panama Democrats recently cast their primary votes in favor of Bernie Sanders.
For Canadians who were unable to pitch in to support the newly elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, there is renewed hope that they will be able to participate when the current mandate of the Liberal Party runs its course as Canada’s Supreme Court has announced that it will hear an appeal that could finally grant Canadians abroad the right to vote, regardless of how long they’ve lived outside Canada.
“Prisoners in Canada can vote but I can’t,” has been a common call of local expats, and some who have spent time in Britain, point out that there they can participate in sending MPs to Westminster but not to Ottawa’s House of Commons.
In 1993, Canada’s parliament passed legislation allowing most Canadians living abroad to vote by special ballot if they had been living outside of the country for no more than five years. Before that, Canadians living abroad were not allowed to vote in federal elections at all.
The five-year rule was enforced loosely, allowing Canadians to “renew” their time out of the country every time they passed through Canada, even if only to change flights.
That changed in 2011, when the country’s electoral authorities changed their interpretation of the five-year rule, barring most Canadians living abroad long-term, Two Canadians living in the United States, Dr Gillian Frank and Jamie Duong, sued for the right to vote and won in 2014.
The victory was short-lived, and In July 2015, the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned the decision, saying that allowing Canadian expats the right to vote would be “unfair” to resident Canadians.
Frank and Duong appealed and the Supreme Court agreed last week to hear the case.
Supporters are trying to raise $50,000 to support the Supreme Court challenge. They have collected $14,000 so far says the Tico Times
The Canadians Voting Abroad website says the appeal will most likely be heard in the first half of 2017.