Release of voters' private information worries Inverness County candidate

The integrity of electronic voting in Inverness County is being questioned after candidates for this month's election received private voter information.

Like all candidates nominated for municipal election in Nova Scotia, Gerard Gillis received a copy of the voters list.

The first-time candidate for District 6 noticed several names he thought should not be on the list, so he started calling government offices to ask about revisions.

Gillis said that's when he found out he should not have been sent birthdates, because they are one of the identifiers needed for electronic voting.

"I'm not saying that people are going to go out and cheat, but this opportunity creates doubt," he said.

"I feel that the electronic voting is compromised. What I'm saying is, it creates opportunity for cheating because people have this. And on top of that, it's a release of personal information that shouldn't be released under the Privacy Act."

Voting by telephone or internet started Tuesday in Inverness County and runs until polls close Oct. 17.

In order to cast a ballot online, voters need their birthdate and a unique personal identification number that is sent by mail.

The incumbent councillor for the district, John Dowling, said he also got voters' birthdates when he got the list by email, but he didn't think much of it.

Dowling said because of COVID-19, he has not been door-knocking, so he hasn't paid much attention to the list.

"I would assume that everything that would have come from the province would have been approved at that point, so I never questioned it, in all honesty," he said.

Dowling also said he is not overly concerned about the breach, because candidates have to swear to keep the contents confidential and must destroy the list after the election.

"I can tell you, 100 per cent, when the election is over on the 17th, that will be deleted out of my email — same as before four years ago with the paper copy," he said. "I actually burnt mine, so there's no record. There's no nothing."

Keith MacDonald, CAO for Inverness County, said the returning officer, Dernie Gillis, mistakenly sent all candidates a spreadsheet with private voter information after mishandling the provincial voters list.

"Just human error with Excel program," he said. "The returning officer did make updated files that would have excluded the date of birth, but when the files went through to the various candidates, they reverted back to their original format."

No evidence of voter fraud

MacDonald said there is always the potential for voter fraud, but there is no evidence it is happening this year and he said the election will be monitored closely.

"There's certainly concerns," MacDonald said. "We will have to review the potential impacts, but ... currently, only the candidates have this electoral listing.

"Under the act, they're not to distribute that listing for any other purposes other than election purposes."

MacDonald said no disciplinary action has been taken, but the issue will go to council next week.

The municipality posted a notice on its website about the breach.