Ken Beck Lee for Coquitlam, New Westminster and Port Moody

FAQs

Q :	For what position is Ken Beck Lee running?
A :	Ken is running to be the Member of Parliament in the New Westminster--Coquitlam electoral district.
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Q :	What is the New Westminster--Coquitlam electoral district?
A :	The New Westminster--Coquitlam constituency includes: (a) the part of the City of New Westminster east of Eighth Street (b) the part of the City of Port Moody south of the Burrard Inlet and Guildford Drive (c) the part of the City of Coquitlam south of the Barnet Highway A map of the constituency can be found here. An electoral district is sometimes referred to as a "constituency" or a "riding".
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Q :	How do I know if I live in New Westminster--Coquitlam?
A :	Visit the Elections Canada site, and enter your postal code (roughly in the centre of the page), press the "Go"" button and it will tell you in what electoral district you live.
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Q :	Who can vote in New Westminster--Coquitlam?
A :	Any Canadian citizen who is 18 years of age or older on the day of the by-election or general election is eligible to vote. If they are ordinarily resident in New Westminster--Coquitlam, they are eligible to vote in New Westminster--Coquitlam. No elector may vote in more than one electoral district in a general election.
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Q :	How do I register to vote?
A :	After a by-election or general election has been called, contact the Elections Canada office for the electoral district.
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Q :	How do I vote?
A :	If you will be away from the electoral district (either in Canada or outside Canada) when a by-election or general election is going to be held, you should contact the Elections Canada office for the electoral district, or Elections Canada in Ottawa, and request a mail-in ballot. You can only do so after the by-election or general election is called, so time is of the essence as mail delivery can be slow. If you are in the constituency: You can vote on the day of the by-election or general election, usually between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The by-election or general election will usually be on a Monday. You can vote at an advance poll, usually held on the Friday, Saturday and Monday a week before the by-election or general election between 12:00 noon and 8:00 p.m. You can vote at the Returning Office for your electoral district as soon as the by-election or general election has been called until 6:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before polling day.
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Q :	Where do I vote?
A :	After the by-election or general election is called, you can visit the Elections Canada web site to learn where your polling place, advance poll location or Returning Office is located.
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Q :	For what party is Ken Beck Lee running?
A :	Ken is running for the Liberal Party of Canada. If the Liberal Party of Canada forms the government after the general election, our Leader, Michael Ignatieff, will become the Prime Minister. For information about the Liberal Party of Canada, visit here.
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Q :	Is this the same party as Gordon Campbell's BC Liberal Party?
A :	No. Gordon Campbell is the leader of a provincial party with a similar name, but different policies, philosophy and programme.
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Q :	How did Ken Beck Lee become the candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada?
A :	Ken wanted to be the Liberal candidate. He completed a nomination paper and found Liberal members to support his nomination. Many Canadians are members of the Liberal Party of Canada. Those members who reside in the New Westminster--Coquitlam electoral district held a meeting. The majority of the members present at the meeting voted to choose Ken as the Liberal Party candidate.
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Q :	Why will there be a by-election?
A :	There will be a by-election because the Member of Parliament elected at the last election (14 October 2008) resigned her seat in April 2009. Voters in the New Westminster--Coquitlam electoral district will vote to select the replacement Member of Parliament. It may be that only the voters of New Westminster--Coquitlam vote on that day -- or the Prime Minister may choose to have by-elections in other vacant seats on the same day.
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Q :	When will the by-election or general election happen?
A :	The Governor General will call a general election either upon the request of the Prime Minister or after the government has been defeated on a vote (of confidence) in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister will call a by-election within six months of a vacancy in the House of Commons. The previous member of the House of Commons for the New Westminster--Coquitlam electoral district resigned in April 2009. The Prime Minister therefore must call a by-election in New Westminster--Coquitlam by 13 October 2009.
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Q :	Who are the other candidates?
A :	The Conservative Party, New Democratic Party and Green Party have all nominated candidates in this electoral district. You can find them by consulting that party's web site or by calling the headquarters of that party. Other parties and independent candidates may also run in the by-election or general election.
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Q :	What can I expect during a by-election campaign or general election campaign?
A :	You can expect to receive material from the political parties or candidates about their candidates. The candidates or their volunteers may knock on your door to provide information about the candidate and ask for your support. You can expect to receive telephone calls from political parties or their volunteers again to provide information and ask for your support. You will see lawn signs supporting the various political parties and their candidates.
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Q :	How can I get involved?
A :	You can contact the campaign office of the individual candidate or the headquarters of the individual party. Political campaigns rely on volunteers to deliver brochures, knock on doors, make telephone calls, staff their offices and manage events. You may also want to take a lawn or window sign to demonstrate your support for the candidate of your choice, or make a financial contribution to the candidate or party you support. Generally, each political party and candidate will have a mechanism to request a sign, become a volunteer or make a financial contribution on their web site. You could also telephone their campaign office for information on these subjects. You can help a candidate or political party regardless of your age or citizenship. It is an excellent way of learning about the political process in Canada.
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Q :	How do I find out about all-candidates meetings?
A :	All-candidates meetings are generally organized by community groups who invite the candidates to participate. You should expect that there will be only a few of these during a by-election or general election period. Generally, the candidates will post information on their web sites about upcoming all-candidates meetings.
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Q :	What other opportunities are there to learn about the candidates?
A :	There are often other opportunities to meet the candidates. Some candidates hold "townhall meetings" which are an opportunity to hear the candidate speak and ask questions about policy issues. Some candidates have "open houses" at their campaign offices which are opportunities to go meet them and ask questions about the issues. Community newspapers will often either run profiles of the candidates, or ask them for responses to questions on prominent policy issues. Finally, most candidates are happy to answer questions received by mail or email concerning their, or their party's, views on issues. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or telephone.
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