Alberta: Local municipalities ponder move to Internet voting

Local municipalities ponder move to Internet voting

Edmonton, St. Albert and Strathcona County want to push ahead with Alberta's first test of Internet voting during next year's civic election.

The three communities are interested in allowing people who can't reach a regular polling booth to vote online instead of mailing in their ballots, says a report released Thursday.

The move requires a change to the provincial Local Authorities Election Act, and though Alberta Municipal Affairs is interested, it needs letters of support from councillors before it will act. --->>>

Ontario: AODA Alliance launches campaign to make voting more accessible for the disabled.

AODA Alliance launches campaign to make voting more accessible for the disabled.

With a provincial byelection looming in Kitchener-Waterloo, the push is on to make voting more accessible for the disabled.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Alliance has launched a campaign in hopes of convincing Elections Ontario to offer telephone and internet voting. --->>>

Spanish firm to provide e-voting service

Spanish firm to provide e-voting service

Council picked the cheaper — but not local — option to provide telephone and e-voting for the next election.

Scytl Secure Electronic Voting, a Spanish firm, bid $553,007 for the contract to distribute voter notification cards and two weeks of advance polling over the Internet and by phone for October’s municipal election. --->>>

Edmonton: City jumps into cyberspace with E-voting pilot initiative

City jumps into cyberspace with E-voting pilot initiative

Edmonton could see a pilot program to test Internet voting in the next civic election, officials say. --->>>

Also: City to meet with province on e-voting

Voter Turnout: Thinking Outside the (Ballot) Box

Voter Turnout: Thinking Outside the (Ballot) Box

Online voting alone won’t resolve the deficiencies in Canada’s electoral system, but new media holds great promise. --->>>

Edmonton, Alberta: City considers e-voting option

City considers e-voting option

The city is looking at the possibility of electronic voting in the next Edmonton civic election.

E-voting, which can mean casting ballots through the Internet or over the telephone, has been tried over the last decade in other parts of Canada and several European countries.

Staff expect to come up with proposals by next fall on options, including electronic ballots and touch screens, to properly prepare for e-voting in the 2013 election. --->>>

Elections Canada Releases the Results of the National Youth Survey

Youth split on reasons they aren't voting says Elections Canada study

A new study suggests young Canadians who say they can't get to the polls may actually mean they don't want to.

The Elections Canada National Youth Survey found that 64 per cent of people age 18-34 said the reason they didn't vote in the May 2011 election was due to issues with access.

But drilling down into the data reveals that those who say that school or work or family obligations get in the way of going to the polling station may be using that as an excuse, Elections Canada researcher Miriam Lapp said. --->>>


Press Release:
Elections Canada Releases the Results of the National Youth Survey

Chief Electoral Officer of Canada Marc Mayrand today released the results of Elections Canada's National Youth Survey, a study of youth and young adult participation in the 2011 federal election.

The survey reveals the important role that politicians and families play; youth who were contacted directly by candidates or political parties, or who discussed politics with their families, were more likely to vote. It also underscores the importance of political knowledge and interest in the decision to vote, reinforcing previous findings on the positive impact of civic education.

"This survey shows that when young people are interested and engaged in politics, they are more likely to vote. I believe that all of us - teachers, parents and politicians - have a role to play in fostering interest among young voters in participating in our democratic process and institutions," said Mr. Mayrand. --->>>

View Report

BC backs online voting trials

B.C. electoral officer calls for reforms to engage youth

Elections BC wants to test online voting and register people younger in an effort to make the provincial electoral system more efficient, modern and attractive to voters.

Chief Electoral Officer Keith Archer makes four recommendations to change the B.C. Election Act in a report tabled on Monday in the B.C. legislature. --->>>

also-

Province backs online voting trials

B.C. could soon be testing Internet voting after a formal request to try the idea received a verbal endorsement from the provincial government Monday.

Elections B.C. wants permission to run pilot projects on online voting and other new technologies, chief electoral officer Keith Archer said in a report tabled in the legislature. --->>>

and -

See Elections B.C. Report

Vancouver online voting pilot nixed by province: CBC News

Vancouver online voting pilot nixed by province: CBC News

A pilot program for online municipal election voting in Vancouver won't get off the ground in time for the upcoming civic election.

Earlier this year, Vancouver city council passed a resolution to set up online voting for the advance polls of this year's municipal election on Nov. 19, which would have allowed eligible voters to cast a ballot by home or mobile computer.

However, the city needed provincial approval to get the program up and running — and the province says there's not enough time to ensure a fair and accurate process is in place. --->>>

Also see: No e-voting for Vancouver, at least until 2014

"E-voting, as you know, was a no-go this time around," Mackenzie notes. "The city was quite keen on it. The whole purpose was to increase votes. But it hinged on approval from the province and Victoria didn't feel comfortable enough to proceed." --->>>

Voting system affects outcome, simulation finds

Voting system affects outcome, simulation finds

A simulated election that examined different voting methods during last week's Ontario election shows that for at least some voters, how they cast their ballot depends on the voting system presented to them. --->>>

The alarming decline in voter turnout - Globe and Mail

The alarming decline in voter turnout

This year’s spate of federal, provincial and territorial elections has made one thing abundantly clear: Turnout virtually everywhere is dropping like a stone. --->>>

Addressing voter indifference

Premier considering implementing e-balloting to boost turnout in provincial elections.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger is vowing to do what he can to improve voter turnout in provincial elections and he is casting his eyes towards the World Wide Web.
A week after he led the NDP to a fourth consecutive majority government, Selinger says turnout in the 2011 provincial election was just not high enough and he wants to do something about it.
"We have to undertake something," said Selinger. "We're going to take a look at e-voting."

Voting alternatives discussed as Ontario election approaches

Voting alternatives discussed as Ontario election approaches

U of M researchers' virtual election simulation examines alternative and proportional models, excludes mixed-member proportional

TORONTO (CUP) — As the Ontario provincial election approaches, a team of researchers are offering alternatives to the current voting system in an online election simulator. --->>>

B.C. is on-board for online voting, but municipal delegates are dubious

B.C. is on-board for online voting, but municipal delegates are dubious

The provincial government wants to bring in online voting for municipal elections as early as 2014, but has to change legislation first, Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Ida Chong said Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters at the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention in Vancouver, Chong said both she and Premier Christy Clark support the concept of voting over the Internet. --->>>

Online elections sought by B.C. municipalities

Online elections sought by B.C. municipalities

B.C. could have online voting in municipal elections as soon as 2014. B.C. could have online voting in municipal elections as soon as 2014. (CBC)

B.C. municipal leaders have endorsed the idea of online voting for the 2014 municipal elections — but debate on the issue has revealed deep divisions within the Union of B.C. Municipalities at its convention in Vancouver.

A majority voted Wednesday to ask the province to do the work required to have online voting ready for the elections in three years. --->>>

Returning officer advises against electronic vote counting for Calgary

Returning officer advises against electronic vote counting for Calgary

Calgary returning officer Barbara Clifford says it’s hard to justify the cost of buying electronic voting machines for city elections.

If Calgary’s returning officer gets her way, the next election night will still be all about the hands — the poll staff manually counting ballots, and the candidates chewing their nails as they await the slow trickle of results.

Barb Clifford will recommend Monday that council avoid joining other large Canadian cities that electronically count votes, because she worries it’s a prohibitive expense. --->>>

Internet voting in advance polls a great success in Markham, report finds

Internet voting in advance polls a great success in Markham, report finds

Internet voting in advance polls in Markham has helped increase overall voter turnout, engage non-voters to vote and greatly improve overall voter satisfaction, according to a research and public opinion report released Monday. --->>>

Also: E-voting gets almost unanimous praise, study finds

If you hate how we vote in Ontario, try this [Toronto Star, Bob Hepburn]

If you hate how we vote in Ontario, try this [Toronto Star, Bob Hepburn]

Are you fed up with thinking your vote never counts or your party never wins as many seats as you think it deserves?

If you do, then you’re not alone because that’s how many Ontario voters feel as they prepare to cast their ballots in the Oct. 6 election.

For decades, critics of Ontario’s first-past-the-post electoral system, in which the candidate receiving the most votes wins the riding, have complained that it shuts out small parties, hurts voter turnout and generally is an offence against modern democracy.

At last, these critics will get a chance to see just how an election outcome might actually unfold if Ontario used a different voting system.

To do this, Ontario residents are being asked to take part in a unique experiment in democracy by going to a website (threeontariovotes.ca), selecting their riding and then voting three ways: the current system, an alternative vote method now used in Australia and proportional representation used in the Netherlands.  --->>>

See also:  CBC - Virtual election lets Ontarians 'vote' under different rules

BC: Online voting a hot topic at municipalities' convention

Online voting a hot topic at municipalities' convention

Everything from improved sweeping of bike lanes to implementation of online voting will be up for discussion as local politicians gather in Vancouver this month for the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.

Two resolutions calling on the province to support the implementation of online voting by 2014 have the endorsement of the UBCM executive.

That's not surprising, say local politicians. Given sagging voter turnout - many municipalities struggle to get 30 per cent - everyone is looking to boost voter participation rates. --->>>

Allure of online voting may outweigh the risks

Allure of online voting may outweigh the risks

You can bank on it: It won't be long before we'll be picking our government leaders with the same ease that we pay our telephone bills.  --->>>