Electronic voting can't be trusted in this fall's municipal election, says CBRM councillor

Paper ballots are making a comeback in this fall's Cape Breton Regional Municipality elections to provide an option for those who don't want to vote electronically.

But one councillor says voting by computer or phone should not be allowed at all because it can't be trusted.

"I know I had individuals that knowingly voted in my district that weren't residing in the district," Coun. Lorne Green said. "In fact, [they] weren't even residing in Cape Breton."

Green represents District 12, which includes parts of Sydney and all of Whitney Pier, Lingan Road and the communities of South Bar and Victoria Mines.

Last week, council voted 8-2 to go with a hybrid option that includes electronic voting — by phone or computer — and traditional printed ballots.

With the electronic system, voters are mailed a personal ID number and use their date of birth to confirm their identity when casting a ballot.

'It makes it easy for deception'

Green said at least three people in his district voted in 2020 when they were no longer qualified to do so. He said they must have received ID numbers because they own property in CBRM and were on an old voter list.

But the system is also open to abuse by people who get ahold of someone else's ID number and know or can find out their birth date, he said.

"It allows the opportunity for this type of thing to happen with electronic voting because you don't have to go into a polling station," Green said.

Green said he complained to the returning officer in 2020, but nothing came of it. He then went to Cape Breton Regional Police.

He said police told him one of the people he was alleging had voted improperly was somehow connected to the police union, so they recommended going to an off-island force.

Green said Truro police investigated, but recommended the matter be dealt with by the returning officer, so nothing came of it.

Christa Dicks, who only recently replaced retired CBRM clerk Deborah Campbell Ryan and took over as returning officer, told council last week there are controls in place, but said she was not familiar with problems in the last election.

In an email, she said complaints about voter fraud typically go to police.

She said whether ballots are paper or electronic, controls include revising the voter list and for electronic voting, using encryption, secure systems and voter identification.

An independent auditor also tests the system during the election, Dicks said.

Along with Green, Deputy Mayor James Edwards voted against the motion for hybrid voting, but for a different reason.

He said it's no longer necessary to offer voters paper ballots because electronic voting has proven to be reliable.

"I was happy with the response by the clerk to that question and as far as the security and the firewalls that would be put in place for electronic voting, I was satisfied that concern would be alleviated," Edwards said.

Voter turnout better under hybrid model

Electronic voting has played a part in the last three CBRM elections. Paper ballots were also an option in two of those, but the last election in 2020 was entirely electronic, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to statistics provided by Dicks, 57 per cent of voters chose the electronic option in 2012 and 49.5 per cent chose electronic in 2016.

Past CBRM election turnouts

• 2020 - 51.3% - electronic only.
• 2016 - 53.5% - electronic/paper.
• 2012 - 57.5% - electronic/paper.
• 2008 - 50%    - paper only.

Coun. Earlene MacMullin voted in favour of the hybrid option, saying it helps encourage voting.

She said whether ballots are paper or electronic, there will always be some people who will find a way to cheat.

MacMullin said she knows of one electronic vote in the last election in her district that came from someone who was dead.

However, she said paper ballots are still important for a large segment of the electorate.

"At this point it is our obligation to make sure that people that are wanting to get out to vote have the most accessible and comfortable means to do that," MacMullin said.