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.

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.