The B.C. government has taken one more small step toward allowing people to vote online, asking the province's chief electoral officer to review the practice for use in future provincial and municipal elections.
On Thursday, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Shirley Bond announced she'd asked chief electoral officer Keith Archer to convene a panel that will look into the use of Internet-based voting in other jurisdictions, and to determine any technological or logistical barriers that exist.
"All of us are interested in increasing the voter turnout in elections, whether provincial or municipal," Bond said in a written statement.
"So it is time we explored whether or not we can maintain the integrity of elections while considering new options," she added.
"I am confident that an independent panel will look at the issue and pro-vide us with good advice."
Bond was spending time with her family Thursday, and was not avail-able for an interview.
Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Ida Chong added her support as well.
"Several local governments have expressed an eagerness to adopt Inter-net voting as a way to increase voter turnout and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities has supported them," Chong said in a statement. "We will look forward to receiving the independent panel's report."
A move to allow online voting would require legislative change, meaning the new system is unlikely to take effect before the next municipal elections in 2014.
"I don't think it could be done before that [2014], although that's something the panel will be looking at," Nola Western, deputy chief electoral officer, said in an interview Thursday.
Under this timeline, online voting also would not be available for the next provincial election, in May 2013.
More than 40 municipalities in Ontario and Eastern Canada already conduct a portion of their votes through the Internet.
Vancouver city council tried to integrate Internet voting last year, but couldn't due to existing laws.
On Thursday, Western said the Elections BC panel will also look at integrating the planned BC Services Card - which combines a drivers' licence and care card - as a way to verify identification in the voting process.
New Democratic Party attorney-general critic Leonard Krog said he is pleased with the announced review.
"This will be an opportunity for an independent officer of the legislature to create a panel that will hopefully give the government and the legislature and British Columbians the information and evidence it needs to determine whether or not [online voting] is feasible, practical and most importantly whether, if implemented, it would have integrity," he said, adding he does not hold a strong opinion on the subject.
"I don't have a personal leaning on Internet voting one way or the other. What I am personally strong on, and what [NDP leader Adrian Dix] is very strong on obviously is increasing voter participation," he said.
"Internet voting may be one of the tools by which we can increase participation and ensure that the governments fairly represent the people who actually are citizens."
Original Article
Source: vancouver sun
Author: Jonathan Fowlie
On Thursday, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Shirley Bond announced she'd asked chief electoral officer Keith Archer to convene a panel that will look into the use of Internet-based voting in other jurisdictions, and to determine any technological or logistical barriers that exist.
"All of us are interested in increasing the voter turnout in elections, whether provincial or municipal," Bond said in a written statement.
"So it is time we explored whether or not we can maintain the integrity of elections while considering new options," she added.
"I am confident that an independent panel will look at the issue and pro-vide us with good advice."
Bond was spending time with her family Thursday, and was not avail-able for an interview.
Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Ida Chong added her support as well.
"Several local governments have expressed an eagerness to adopt Inter-net voting as a way to increase voter turnout and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities has supported them," Chong said in a statement. "We will look forward to receiving the independent panel's report."
A move to allow online voting would require legislative change, meaning the new system is unlikely to take effect before the next municipal elections in 2014.
"I don't think it could be done before that [2014], although that's something the panel will be looking at," Nola Western, deputy chief electoral officer, said in an interview Thursday.
Under this timeline, online voting also would not be available for the next provincial election, in May 2013.
More than 40 municipalities in Ontario and Eastern Canada already conduct a portion of their votes through the Internet.
Vancouver city council tried to integrate Internet voting last year, but couldn't due to existing laws.
On Thursday, Western said the Elections BC panel will also look at integrating the planned BC Services Card - which combines a drivers' licence and care card - as a way to verify identification in the voting process.
New Democratic Party attorney-general critic Leonard Krog said he is pleased with the announced review.
"This will be an opportunity for an independent officer of the legislature to create a panel that will hopefully give the government and the legislature and British Columbians the information and evidence it needs to determine whether or not [online voting] is feasible, practical and most importantly whether, if implemented, it would have integrity," he said, adding he does not hold a strong opinion on the subject.
"I don't have a personal leaning on Internet voting one way or the other. What I am personally strong on, and what [NDP leader Adrian Dix] is very strong on obviously is increasing voter participation," he said.
"Internet voting may be one of the tools by which we can increase participation and ensure that the governments fairly represent the people who actually are citizens."
Original Article
Source: vancouver sun
Author: Jonathan Fowlie
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