Some Ontario Returning
Polls will be using 'Tabulating Machines' to count the ballots, this
appears to be an experimental initiative and limited to a few polls
in each area. During 'training' the Returning Officers (at least in
this area) were unaware of this wrinkle and training officers were
unable to answer most questions related to such machines. As one who
generally supports the move to using technology to enhance the voting
process I do not want to detract from any moves to improve our voting
system.
HOWEVER I have been
unaware of any per-election announcements regarding this, as as it
seems those that will be overseeing said machines. Being in close
contact with an individual who worked for Elections Canada during the
last election I am aware of some problems during the federal election
but initial observations seems to indicate that the Ontario
Provincial election has far more problems in its voting process. It
is not sufficient that the voting process must be free of bias,
interference and possible miscounts it must be SEEN to be free of
such impacts!
Whist the move to have
far more days for 'advanced polling' is perhaps a good thing,
previous polling clerks have said that the previously very limited
days produced 'very limited response' and that they were ' not busy',
we wonder how 'busy' the returning clerks are going to be over the
week that advanced polls are open. We also wonder how how much
thought has gone into the introduction of 'Tabulating Machines' into
an area without prior notification, and how the voting public will
view this update when they vote..... AND how the verification process
would work in the event of a recount!
This post is not in any
way intended to detract from the voting process in this province, I
have at this point full confidence in the voting system, however I
will be keeping a close eye on the results and process from the
“Tabulating Machines' being used for the first time (in so far
as I know) in the Ontario Elections.
Its not technology, its
the process, and the public acceptance of the process ........
Support Democracy - Recommend this Post at Progressive Bloggers
UPDATE:- These machine
were first
tested during advance polls in the Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock
by-election. “The ballot marking device will allow electors
with visual impairments or physical disabilities to mark their ballot
independently. “
The Process.
For you interest here
is how the tabulating machines work. The voter is handed a ballot
(larger cardboard sheet aprox 8 x 11) inside a folder, the voter
opens the folder and then makes their selection in the usual manner
and then closes the folder and hands it to the returning officer who
then (without opening the folder) offers the ballot up to the machine
which extracts the ballot from within the machine, an audible sound
is heard as the ballot is accepted and dropped in the box below. So
far as I know the ballot is counted in real time and the results
forwarded to the local district elections office electronicaly at
that time. It is unkown to this writer how those votes are stored
either localy or at the district office, I do note however that the
hard copy of the ballots are retained at the local polling station.
I understand that those
with .disabilities' are able to produce a ballot using ' assistive
voting technology' using this same machine. “Voters
with limited or no vision will be able to mark and generate a ballot
by following step-by-step audio commands. Voters with physical
disabilities will be able to use “sip and puff”
technology or paddles. “ It is unclear however if this
option will be available at the selected advanced polls that are
using the 'Tabulating Machines' or if they must travel to the
district returning office.
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