Supreme Court set to rule on voting rights for long-term expat Canadians today

Thestar.com
January 11, 2019
Gilbert Ngabo

Canada’s top court will decide today on the validity of a now-repealed law that barred long-term Canadian expats from voting.

Two Canadians living in the U.S. launched the challenge to part of the Canada Elections Act.

The Supreme Court of Canada is seen in Ottawa on Oct. 11, 2018. The court is set to rule today on a now-repealed law that barred long-term Canadian expats from voting.

The act said those who lived abroad for more than five years lost their voting rights.

Jamie Duong, of Ithaca, N.Y., and Gill Frank, of Richmond, Va., argued nothing warranted the abridgment of their constitutional right to vote.

They insisted they maintain deep ties to Canada, and taxes and other laws passed by Parliament could still affect them.

They initially succeeded in court but lost on appeal, prompting the Supreme Court to weigh in.

The Liberal government did away with the ban last month but the court case proceeded.