About half of inmates at Winnipeg-area jail didn't get to vote in last Manitoba election, report suggests

Steve Lambert · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 22, 2025 2:04 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

A study from Manitoba's elections commissioner says astir fractional of the inmates astatine a jailhouse westbound of Winnipeg did not get the accidental to ballot successful the past provincial election.

Commissioner Bill Bowles says miscommunication and a bid of events resulted successful the polls closing and predetermination workers leaving the Headingley Correctional Centre earlier galore inmates could formed ballots.

What happened connected voting time successful October 2023 was unfortunate and accidental, Bowles said, so helium is not recommending immoderate charges nether the Elections Act.

Part of the contented was that 2 teams of elections workers were expected to spell to the jail, but lone 1 squad went.

Polling stations tin enactment unfastened good aft 8 p.m. to let voting to finish, but voting officers mistakenly believed they had to battalion up and get backmost to the returning bureau earlier 9 p.m.

Elections Manitoba has outlined a database of changes to the process, and Bowles says they are tenable and should beryllium effective.