Canadian Detained At U.S. Border For Hours Over How He Voted, Which Is Ironic Because He Can't Remember Either
A Canadian citizen was held at a U.S. land crossing and questioned at length about his voting history, a line of inquiry that assumes a level of civic recall most Canadians simply do not possess.
The interview reportedly covered federal preferences, provincial preferences, and whatever happened in the 2018 municipal race. Sources say the traveller answered honestly, which is to say he said "the orange one, maybe? Or was that the referendum?" and then asked if the officer knew who his school board trustee was, because he has never known.
This is the part the Americans have not thought through. Their own politics runs on registered party affiliation, primaries, yard signs, and a colour-coded map you can recite from memory. Canada runs on a secret ballot, four parties, a stubby pencil, and a strong cultural conviction that asking your neighbour how they voted is worse manners than asking their salary. You cannot interrogate a population about a thing it has agreed not to discuss at dinner.
Canadian officials responded with the standard menu: concern, a call for clarity, and a reminder that entry to another country is at that country's discretion. Travel advisories now note that Canadians should be prepared to answer questions about their political views, their social media, and their phone.
The traveller was eventually released after four hours and allowed to continue to his destination, an outlet mall in Bellingham.
He bought a hoodie. He declared it. He would not say, on the record, which party he voted for, and honestly, at this point, it is the principle.