Canadian citizen and California resident Chris Jones is running in the federal election as an independent candidate in the Edmonton-Strathcona riding to prove a point.
“I’m running for Parliament in Edmonton Strathcona as an independent candidate, to point out the absurdity in a law that says we’re not Canadian enough to vote, but are Canadian enough to run for office,” Mr. Jones writes on his website.
He launched his candidacy in response to Election Canada’s interpretation of voting laws that was recently upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal that deny the right to vote to Canadian citizens who have lived out of the country for more than five years.
While he does not expect to win the election, he does encourage Canadians to:
- Tell their friends, family, and neighbours that the fight to extend the right to vote to all Canadians isn’t quite over yet.
- Ask candidates whether they support the right to vote for all Canadians.
- Donate to an upcoming Supreme Court appeal to establish the right to vote for all Canadians.
Listen to Mr. Jones explain the reasons behind his candidacy to CBC Edmonton AM host Mark Connolly.
Non-resident Canadian citizen Nicolas Duchastel de Montrouge has launched a similar campaign in the Calgary-Heritage riding.
