You mentioned rural areas in your comments, and my friend Mr. Proulx also mentioned them. I'd like to go a little further on that.
I come from a rural area in Ontario. Federal elections have advance polls for a number of days the week before, but there are four or five in an area that's very large. I know people drive for up to an hour to get to an advance poll, or half an hour, depending on where they live. They may choose to vote at an advance poll, but because of inconvenience they cannot.
You mentioned the possibility of mobilizing those over the course of that four-day period, which might help a little. What we're asking for, and what this bill has, is that on the Sunday before, an advance poll be held in the station where they would normally vote on the day of election. This would make it fairly convenient. In their own small community, as Mr. Proulx said, the polling station then is much closer to home. We have a very close situation, so we're looking for that turnout to be better.
You also mentioned that the busyness of rural voters is causing you some concern in finding workers. Well, the same thing happens here. The closer to home we can work, the better off we are too.
We also mentioned during the discussion that in rural Canada there are still some Sunday family activities, whether it's going to church or..... With the previous witnesses we talked about university and youth. Not everybody is away at a school. Many are away at a school during the week, but they are home on the weekend. This would give that youth the opportunity to vote close to home, because they're home on the Sunday.
I'd like to have your thought process on any of that.
If there's any time left, I know Mr. Epp would love some time.