Quinte West content with voting online

Voters of Quinte West feel comfortable with casting the ballot online.

By Greg Murphy

BELLEVILLE – It seems many voters in Quinte West are comfortable with casting their ballot online in the upcoming municipal election.

Online voting is part of the broader definition of “alternative voting technology.” A report by Ontario’s chief electoral officer to the Legislature in June 2013 defines alternative voting technology as “a means of both casting and counting votes electronically involving the transmission of ballots and votes via telephones, private computer networks, or the internet.”

Back in December 2013, Quinte West city council passed a motion to allow online voting for the next election.

Initially, a report from the city’s new clerk, Kevin Heath, recommended that several of the 18 polling stations be cut to offset the additional $30,000 it would cost to support online voting. Recently, however, council voted to maintain all the polling stations.

“The intent, I guess, is we don’t know yet the outcome of Internet voting in this community. We want to gather statistical data (on online voting) that we can use to determine if this is the definite direction we want to go in for future elections,” said Heath, adding the additional cost will be covered by the election budget.

On Tuesday, QNet visited the Quinte West communities of Frankford and Trenton to ask voters door-to-door what their thoughts are on online voting. Most responded that they feel comfortable with casting their vote on the Internet, some adding that it is a much-needed innovation for tech-savvy youngsters who do not vote.

“I think it would work a lot for our generation. A lot of us don’t vote, so this is good. I can’t say the same for the older generations, but I will vote this way for sure,” said a young Trenton woman who spoke on condition that she not be named.

Those who said they aren’t interested in voting online cited reasons such as not having a computer, not knowing how to use one, or having limited Internet access.

Ed Green, a 79-year resident of Frankford, said, “I don’t have a computer, and besides, I like to go out and meet the people at the polls and stretch my legs.”

Some people who said they would vote online added that they have some concerns about vote security.

“I would probably vote online. I don’t know just how secure it will be. I’m not fully convinced the vote will be secure but I’ll vote anyways, for the convenience,” said Krista Richardson, a resident of Sidney ward.

Linda Wallington of Frankford also said she would vote online despite security concerns.

“Yeah, I would vote. But before I vote, I will consider very carefully that it may not be secure. But I think in all, I will vote online,” she said.

Vote security is an issue that is not taken lightly by Elections Ontario.

In his Alternative Voting Technologies Report, the chief electoral officer for Elections Ontario, Greg Essensa, wrote, “At this point, we do not have a viable method of network voting that meets our criteria and protects the integrity of the electoral process.”

The report outlines the potential risks and limitations, but also the potential benefits, of alternative-technology voting.

Among the potential risks and limitations it cites are security breaches that could jeopardize the integrity of the voting process; the lack of a paper trail if there needs to be an audit of the vote, or a recount; the fact that some voters do not have access to the Internet; and the fact that network voting is costly, especially if used in addition to traditional voting.

As potential benefits, the report cites increased choice for voters in how and when they cast their ballot; increased accessibility for voters with disabilities, and those who live outside the jurisdiction, such as military voters, students and snowbirds; fast and accurate vote-counting; reductions in the number of election workers and voting locations needed; possible cost reductions, especially if paper ballots are eliminated; and environmental benefits thanks to reduced travel by voters and election officials.

In the 2010 municipal election, 44 of the 444 municipalities across Ontario offered an alternative voting technology, the report says. For example, the city of Stratford offered only Internet and telephone voting, while Markham offered Internet voting for advance polls.

The report also said that 33 of the 44 municipalities experienced system crashes and other problems with the new voting technology.

And since then, some municipalities have turned away from online voting. The city councils of Waterloo and Newmarket, for example, have both voted against it. Asked about the decision, Newmarket city clerk Andrew Brouwer said, “I can say the main concern is related to the timing. The community needs time to prepare for the transition.”

Closer to home, Belleville offered online voting in the advance polls of the last election, but not many voters took advantage of it.

A query to city hall about the experience resulted in this tweet to QNet:

@MurphyJGreg @RalphNeale1 @QNetNews @quintewest @MayorNeilEllis Not a lot of people took advantage of it. Clerk will put it before Council.

— City of Belleville (@BellevilleON) February 3, 2014

In Quinte West, residents can expect a letter to be mailed to them with an instruction sheet on how to vote online. The letter will tell them to go to a website, after which they will be emailed a personal identification number from Dominion Voting Systems (the online voting system provider) that will allow them to cast their ballot.

Back in December, Heath, the clerk of Quinte West, said that online voting is the way of the future.

“I think it’s good for Quinte, just like any service that you provide to the electorate. It’s making it user-friendly and accessible to accommodate the voters within our community. That’s what it’s all about, to accommodate the voters,” he said.