Author | Lightnews

Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 1h

In Canadian federal, provincial & municipal elections, every candidate is entitled to authorize a scrutineer to observe the vote on their behalf. At *every* polling station. Scrutineers can challenge ballots that get flagged for judicial review in event of a recount.

This is the opposite of that.

Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg 🇵🇸 @elizabethweill.bsky.social · 3h

Breaking: The Department of Justice announced it will "monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions [in New Jersey and California] ahead of the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law." www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justi...

Justice Department to Monitor Polling Sites in California, New Jersey

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced that it will monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions ahead of the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot ...

www.justice.gov

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Seána @grantsana.bsky.social · 1d

Some people on this island are voting to elect their head of state
Others are digesting the fact that their state deployed paratroopers as peacekeepers - an oxymoron in itself, who killed children in broad daylight & then frustrated justice to the point that it was impossible. Such a stark contrast

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 1d

As much as my own kids want to be back in class, I will continue to stand with teachers for better learning conditions. Pry our right to strike from our cold, dead hands, Premier.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Back-to-work legislation coming to end the Alberta teachers’ strike | CBC News

The Alberta government has served formal notice that they will introduce back-to-work legislation to end the Alberta teachers’ strike.

www.cbc.ca

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Friends of Medicare @friendsofmedicare.bsky.social · 1d

Premier Smith keeps trying to pin this on AHS—a go-to scapegoat for Alberta governments—despite the provincial health agency being subject to the direction of her own Health Minister, as per their mandate.

If the government did nothing wrong they should prove it: Albertans deserve a public inquiry!

Report into Alberta Health Services contracts finds conflicts widely known

EDMONTON - A report into allegations of corruption in Alberta Health Services contracts says it was widely known two employees were in conflicts of interest, but no steps were taken

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 1d

Voters are meant to administer the test of good character. The media is meant to be an independent, objective platform for facts & evidence to be weighed. The courts are meant to judge violations of the law, enforce the law & punish lawbreakers.

The test was failed over & over, without consequence.

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 1d

Scrutineer who observed the count at another polling station in the same ward: it's not suspicious. Another candidate, alphabetically ahead of Parmar on the ballot, had the votes attributed to their tally. This was likely due to the layout of candidates vote piles on the counting table.

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 1d

Oooh, now do Derrida.

A spoof poster parodying Jacques Derrida's "Spectres of Marx", featuring Karl dressed in black robes holding a bloody sickle aloft like the Grim Reaper. The tagline reads: The world's #1 bestselling postmodernist brings back Marx ... With a vengeance.

Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 1d

We were so close to getting anti-SLAPP legislation onto the agenda for 2019 ...😩

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 1d

A circular sticker, pink and orange ombré, held between a wee* thumb and forefinger. In white cursive lettering it reads: The government is giving me a migraine.

*The wee thumb and forefinger are my own.

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 1d

In Alberta, the dilemma is framed as:

Is my migraine due to a barometric pressure shift, or did Danielle Smith just break something else that was once fundamental to our society? 🤔

McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 7d

"Are my migraines hormonal, or am I thinking too hard about how Peter Thiel has more money than all nurses on Earth combined?"

Is It Perimenopause or the Fascist Death Knell of Late-Stage Capitalism?

Are my hot flashes due to an estrogen imbalance or a rapidly warming planet hastened by unaccountable oil barons who own our elections? Am I irrita...

buff.ly

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 1d

FWIW, I scrutineered 1 polling station in sipiwiyiniwak during the count. There were remarkably few spoiled or rejected ballots, especially compared to the April fed elxn. Only 2 ballots stuffed into the wrong boxes (mayor/cllr). Each candidate was tallied twice, etc. Can't speak for other sites 🤷‍♀️

Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Dave Cournoyer 🇨🇦 @daveberta.bsky.social · 1d

Update: Thu Parmar defeats Better Edmonton Party candidate Darrell Friesen in Ward sipiwiyiniwak after today’s recount.

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Ricardo Acuña @ricacuna.bsky.social · 2d

TONIGHT! Poilievre built his brand on anger over inequality — then served it to the billionaires on a silver platter. Join Martin Lukacs and Ricardo Acuña to discuss the playbook that propelled Poilievre’s rise. Register at www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launc...

Book launch: The Poilievre Project

Join journalist Martin Lukacs and Parkland Institute director Ricardo Acuna for a conversation about The Poilievre Project.

www.eventbrite.com

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 3d

It's municipal election day in Alberta.

It's also COVID-booking-opens-to-the-general public day.

Both processes are operating under new rules imposed by the provincial government.

Neither is going smoothly.

City News headline: Edmontonians brave long lines to vote in municipal election

Some Albertans frustrated, Health Link overwhelmed as COVID-19 shots roll out to general public
Health Link had received more than 10,000 calls for COVID-19 shots by 4 p.m.
Jennifer Lee · CBC News · Posted: Oct 20, 2025 6:09 PM MDT | Last Updated: 19 minutes ago

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 2d

Charles, I have a piece drafted challenging the cost claims, just waiting for some editing before it goes out into the world. Based on CIHI & AB resp dashboard #s, hospitalization for Covid in AB last year would have cost over $120m. The "wastage" claimed was $44m

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 2d

Cries in west end polisci nerd 😭

I'm collecting my candidate's campaign signs *on foot* just to avoid driving in all the construction.

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 3d

Canadians are definitely not going to take credit for this one, sorry 🤷‍♀️

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Ghostin this Hell @hoovybaby.bsky.social · 3d

Wake up, babe, the least subtle visual metaphor in history just dropped

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 3d

Albertans, the 🚩🚩🚩are the only thing you can rely on with this government. Look around. Research Orbán's playbook for "competitive autocracy." Read @stevelevitsky.bsky.social & @timothysnyder.bsky.social .Identify the institutions & spaces intended to safeguard our democracy & mobilize around them.

The Breakdown AB @thebreakdownab.bsky.social · 3d

This is just...

Bizarre?

Joseph Schow when challenged on the motivations for the UCP's upcoming legislation to determine who can and can't run for office seems to suggest that voters shouldn't have to do any research on candidates before they vote?

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Brett McKay @brettmckay.bsky.social · 7d

How wealthy Edmontonians mix personal and corporate donations to double-dip campaign contributions to election candidates

theijf.org/edmontonians...

How wealthy Edmontonians mix personal and corporate donations to double-dip campaign contributions to election candidates

Several wealthy Edmontonians have taken advantage of the reintroduction of corporate donations to boost their contributions to local council candidates, analysis shows

theijf.org

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 7d

@djclimenhaga.bsky.social: What’s with this apparent contradiction in the report from a panel set up to advise the government how Alberta’s post-secondary institutions should be funded, but then dives into how to respond to MAGA obsessions dear to the hearts of Premier Smith and her UCP base?

A UCP Government Panel Backs a MAGA Agenda for Post-Secondary Schools | The Tyee

The Mintz review was supposed to review funding. But it strayed into attacks on DEI.

thetyee.ca

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Jared Wesley @jaredwesley.ca · 3d

Those of you standing in long lines for municipal elections in Alberta today:

1) stay in line; your voice matters
2) the long lines are a direct consequence of the conspiracy-driven policy changes brought forward by the UCP government (and not your beleaguered election workers); be kind

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Julie DiCaro @juliedicaro.bsky.social · 4d

“I mean, Hitler’s already taken 40% of France, just leave it the way it is.”

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d

Q: Did you tell Zelenskyy he needed to cede all of the Donbas region to Russia?

TRUMP: No. We think that what they should do is just stop at the lines where they are

Q: What do you think should happen w/ the Donbas?

T: I think 78% of the land is already taken by Russia. You leave it the way it is

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Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae

Erika Shaker @ershaker.bsky.social · 4d

ottawacitizen.com/public-servi... “Depending on how the cuts play out, we can expect wider employment gaps, wider pay gaps and the erosion of access to critical employment benefits” @davidmaccdn.bsky.social @kjscott.bsky.social @policyalternatives.ca

Cuts will impact women and racialized public servants disproportionately, new analysis says

An estimated 59 per cent of the workers cut will be women, according to a new analysis by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

ottawacitizen.com

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Rebecca Graff-McRae @poliscirish.bsky.social · 5d

Absolutely brilliant craic with the lads from @foilarmsandhog.bsky.social in Edmonton last night! And incredibly generous of them to hang about and sign a few (hundred) autographs. Best moment of the night: the 🎶Doom-dah 🎶

#speirgorm

A giddy fangirl (curly brown hair, glasses, and a purple jumper) poses with the legendary Irish comedy trio Foil, Arms, and Hog. She holds a yellow sign with the catchphrase, "Enh Doom-Dah", which has been autographed.

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