Thunder Bay council approves online voting for future elections

Thunder Bay City Council has voted to authorize the use of telephone and internet voting in future municipal elections.

During a meeting Monday night, several Thunder Bay city councillors abandoned their opposition to online voting — and voted in favour of the practice.

According to a report by the city manager's office, nearly 100 Ontario municipalities now use alternative methods of voting. None have reported security breaches or voter fraud.

Mayor Keith Hobbs and several councillors said that report helped change their minds about online voting.

Coun. Aldo Ruberto said the long waits for results during previous elections convinced him it's time to embrace technology. 

Coun. Rebecca Johnson supported the change, saying phone and web-based voting is more accessible. She also said she's not a tech-savvy person but even she is comfortable with the process.

"I wonder how many of you actually do your banking online.  I wonder of you how many of you actually buy tickets online?," said Johnson. 

Fraud concerns

Coun. Linda Rydholm cast the only vote against the alternative voting methods. She asked what would prevent a single person from using the voter cards delivered to his or her home and casting ballots for all the members of his or her household.

City clerk John Hannam replied that a group of votes coming from a single IP address, within minutes of each other, would likely trigger suspicion. He added there are opportunities for fraud in the current system as well.

In response to concerns about voter fraud, Coun. Andrew Foulds recounted a story about a friend who had received two voters cards at two different residences in two different wards. Foulds noted that person might have been able to vote twice.

"There is no system of voting that is perfect," said Foulds.

Councillor Paul Pugh said he previously voted against online voting but the evidence before council suggested that the chance of an election being spoiled by it was remote. 

"At the end of the day it comes down to probabilities ... There's probably nothing that's 100 per cent.  Not even a paper ballot," said Pugh.

Councillor Trevor Giertuga noted the current system isn't perfect either.

"Anything can be manipulated.  People talk about the tabulators [and] how they could be rigged ... and I know that's not true because many people wouldn't have got voted back in if that was the case so ... no, just kidding," said Giertuga.

Hannam said the new technology could be in place soon enough to test it in a by-election, if one takes place before 2018.

The city will now seek a vendor to supply the new technologies.