Elections Canada workers threatened in Dartmouth-Cole Harbour riding

Elections Canada officials are asking the public to treat their workers with respect after police were recently called to two voting locations in the riding of Dartmouth-Cole Harbour to deal with disgruntled voters who had been threatening workers.

"We are seeing issues from electors who are very disheartened because their candidate is not on the ballot," said Francoise Enguehard, a media adviser with Elections Canada.

That candidate was Troy Myers. He was on the ballot running for the Conservative Party until two weeks ago, but stepped away from the race following an allegation from a woman who says he sexually assaulted her in 2019.

Myers has denied the woman's version of events.

Some voters who were expecting to cast their ballot for a Conservative candidate are getting upset when they realize there isn't one for them to support.

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"It has created some very unruly behaviour by some individuals at the polls and the situation is concerning," said Enguehard.

No other Conservative candidate for the riding has been added. That's causing anguish for some party supporters turning out to the advance polls in Dartmouth-Cole Harbour.

That behaviour includes incidents deemed serious enough that police were notified.

Enguehard says dozens of voters have verbally abused and harassed poll workers. Threatening phone calls have also been made. The returning officer for the riding has been threatened over the phone six times, Enguehard said.

"We are quite concerned for the workers and the electors, too," said Enguehard. "Poll workers did not sign up to be harassed and some of them are frazzled by this."