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There are other new hoops that citizens abroad must jump through.

Citizens abroad must send in identity documents to be able to vote. Fine, but C-50 says they may use only documents issued by a Canadian government agency or by an entity formed or incorporated in Canada.

Imagine for a moment the situation of Canadians who have been living abroad for years. How many will be able to lay their hands on the kind of proof the new bill demands? Passports do not have addresses on them. Drivers’ licences are also out in many instances, since when Canadians move abroad jurisdictions like New York, for example, require them to exchange their Canadian licence for the local licence within 30-days.

The act also requires proof of a Canadian’s last address in Canada, which becomes the sole riding where they may vote. To give themselves some cover, Conservatives say Canadians without the required documentation proving their last address will be able to get former neighbours in Canada to write letters vouching for their previous address. Sounds good, but if over the years of living abroad, you’ve lost touch with your former neighbours, you lose your democratic right to vote.

Vouching also adds further steps that add to the risks of delay. In addition to the steps outlined earlier, the Canadian expat would also have to find a past Canadian neighbour, and ask them to write a letter vouching for their last Canadian address — and wait to receive that letter. Given the speed of international mail, is this system really feasible? And if voting from abroad in this way is still technically possible, is there a valid justification for making the process that difficult?