Toronto Mayor Rob Ford votes at an advance poling station at the St. Giles Kingsway Presbyterian Church in Ward 4 on Oct. 14, 2014. On Thursdya, the mayor appeared at Driftwood Community Centre near Jane and Finch at about 4 p.m., when staff spotted the mayor “speaking with electors and having photos taken.”FRED LUM/The Globe and Mail
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was asked to leave an advanced polling station Thursday, after he was seen speaking to voters at the site – something the Municipal Elections Act forbids. But a spokesman for the mayor said the mayor was "not doing anything inappropriate."
According to a statement from city spokeswoman Leisa Odlum, Mr. Ford appeared at Driftwood Community Centre near Jane and Finch at about 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon, where staff spotted the mayor "speaking with electors and having photos taken." The Jane and Finch polling station is outside of ward 2, where Mr. Ford is running as a council candidate.
The Municipal Elections Act prohibits candidates from campaigning within a voting location. "As a candidate, you are allowed to stay in a voting place to observe, but you are not allowed to interfere with voters, attempt to influence how they vote, or ask a voter how they voted, " the act says.
Ms. Odlum said that staff at the voting site informed Mr. Ford that his actions against the rules. "Once he was advised of this, he left the voting location, " her statement says.
Jeff Silverstein, a spokesman for brother Doug Ford's mayoral campaign, confirmed that the mayor was at the polling station Thursday. He said that he was still unclear on the details, but said "my understanding is that he was not doing anything inappropriate."
It's not clear what Mr. Ford was doing at the polling station. The mayor already cast his own ballot earlier this week, when advanced voting first began on Tuesday.
Ann Hui