Canada's top elections official backs Oct. 21 vote date despite Jewish holiday
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Canada's chief electoral officer says the national election date of Oct. 21 should not be pushed back after a federal court last week ordered him to reconsider the timing because it coincided with a Jewish holiday.
"At this late stage in the electoral cycle, I believe I must pay particular attention to the impact that a change of date would have on my ability to fully meet my statutory obligations with only a limited amount of time left before the general election," says Stephane Perrault.
While the chief electoral officer recommends the election date, it is up to the prime minister and his cabinet to decide when Canadians will go to the polls. A final decision has to be made by Aug. 1.
Federal court Judge Ann Marie McDonald ruled on July 23 that Perrault must reconsider the date after an Orthodox Jewish Conservative Party candidate and a Canadian Jewish activist filed a lawsuit.
In her ruling, McDonald said Perrault had not demonstrated that he had fully weighed everyone's constitutional rights when deciding to stick with Oct. 21, which is the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret.
