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January 23, 2006

Canadian Election Results Blocked Online Until Polls Close Everywhere

Canada is having a federal election tonight (Canada is a large country just north of the U.S., where people live in igloos and put vinegar on their fries). In the U.S. local news organizations will stay off the air while the polls are open, but national news and websites will start reporting as soon as they can. So the polls may close on the East Coast 3 or 4 hours before the West Coast (and Alaska and Hawaii are even further behind) and in some cases the national media will call the election before the polls close out West.

But in Canada, as this page explains, due to a recent court ruling in British Columbia, no results will be available on the CBC website until 10 pm Eastern time, when the last polls close out West. This also means that all live streaming of CBC Radio (which I guess is on East coast time) will be disabled during the window between polls closing in Newfoundland and closing in B.C. and the Yukon.

The page also explains what you can expect before 10 p.m.: "election related news, analysis, commentary, quizzes and so on." Quizzes! How Canadian. Quick, name the second through sixth Canadian Prime Ministers...hmmm, I think there was a guy named Tupper...and maybe Bowell (or am I just imagining that). Borden, anyone?? I think I actually once knew the answer to that useless factoid. Keep in mind that in a survey of Canadian youngsters, more people identified John A. MacDonald as the founder of McDonald's than as the first Canadian PM.

Posted by AdamBa at January 23, 2006 02:50 PM

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Comments

As a Canadian I could resent your comments, but they are strikiningly accurate so...
Geez I have got to turn the heat up in the igloo. It is a cold night. Looks like we will be electing son of Bush tonight so that should make you happy.

Posted by: Earl at January 23, 2006 04:34 PM

No no no, having been raised on poutine and Harvey's (OK, actually I never ate poutine as a child), liberalism was imprinted on me at a young age, and I mourn the loss of Paul Martin and his schnozz-tweaking of Bush.

- adam

Posted by: Adam Barr at January 23, 2006 05:07 PM

Not releasing info until election are finished in all areas seem reasonably good idea. The problem that a radio program would be borind for few more hours at the same day is not so significant.

I find much more intriguing that Canada is not using electonic voting machines. If they have to fake elections they must fake papers... How barbarian ;)

Posted by: Ivan at January 25, 2006 06:13 AM