Trans voters report being misnamed, misgendered at polling stations

There have been several reports from trans voters in the Ontario election who say they have been misnamed or misgendered due to outdated records from Elections Ontario.

Previously, some trans voters had been receiving their registration cards with old names on them. Now, it seems these same issues are happening at the polling stations, even for some who have had their names changed for several years.

Phaedra Beauvais and Christine Salter both voted Thursday in Ottawa and both were also misnamed and misgendered.

“I feel so bad for those who may be turned off from voting because of this. We need our voices heard as well,” Salter said. “For me, personally, I was annoyed and angry. Hopefully, they’ll get their act together by the next election and have some training for working with trans people.”

Some organizations were prepared for just such an occurrence, such as Speqtrum Hamilton, a “youth-founded, youth-run, and youth-focused skill-sharing and community building program for queer and trans young people in Hamilton, Ont.”

The organization, with help from the Laidlaw Foundation, have created a short comic and hashtag to help trans voters who may feel uncomfortable voting.

Jyssika Russell is the project coordinator for Speqtrum, and says that things like presenting ID can be a huge barrier for trans people.

“One misconception about voting is that it requires a lot of ID,” Russell said. “That can make trans people feel uncomfortable and we just wanted to make it easier.”