Residents say votes should be manually counted, not electronically.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Keystone,Peter Klaunzer
October 08, 2014 - 7:30 AM
PENTICTON - Election votes are at risk of being miscounted if the city continues to use an electronic counting machine, says one resident who believes votes should be manually counted, even if it takes longer and costs more.
Vicki Lightfoot and Kevin Proteau presented to council Monday night their issue of using electronic ballot counting machines to tally election votes.
Lightfoot, who has worked as a scrutineer (a person who oversees a vote count) said accepting electronic counters as would take away from the democratic system and the public’s constitutional right to decide election winners.
The problem with the machines, she said, is the programming can be hacked and votes can be tampered with. But staff confirmed the machines aren’t plugged in to any network, just an electric socket.
The process of using an electronic counter is completely legal, said Dana Schmidt, Chief Elections Officer. It is also possible for a judicial recount, where the chief election officer can manually count the votes if there are any red flags, she said.
But Lightfoot wasn’t satisfied because she said there is no way to scrutinize a machine.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014