General Election Information

[metropolis]

A few questions I am hoping someone can answer that I have not been able to find clear information about:

If memory serves the ballot I recieve has several "checks" I need to make. If I am unsure about one of the positions (say Catholic Board Chair) do I have to check somoeone's name or can I leave that portion blank without running the risk of having my ballot voided?

I am also assuming I get to vote for only the council member representing my ward and cannot vote for other wards?

Thanks

[David]

I'm not 100% sure but I think that if you vote for at least one name on the ballot your vote would be counted. There are going to be a lot voting that may not want vote for Mayor, Regional Chair or a School Board Trustee. Maybe someone just wants to vote for a local municipal candidate and stick their ballot in the box. I can't see why that wouldn't be counted.

[David]

And yes you only vote for the ward you live in. So say you live in Ward 7 in Waterloo, you can only vote for a single council candidate in that ward. Regional positions and Mayor are city wide.

[Shawn]

We live in the Technology Triangle??

If so, why don't we have internet voting? Peterborough introduced internet voting in 2006 and Markham introduced internet voting in 2003!

It would be nice that since we have that title, that we actually walked the walk and led by example. Maybe they only count the number of IT Head Quarters in the region to earn that title, but it should also factor in how technologically advanced we are as a community! Right?

Come on.. 2 elections ago in Markham and 1 election ago in Peterborough?... Peterborough?? Really? At least Markham, in it's own right, could be considered it's own technology centre with IBM and a long list of other software and tech companies head quartered there!

[David]

Looking at Peterborough as an example I have to say I'm impressed. However, I would have security concerns along with this type of voting.

Voters lists aren't always correct, so I think we'd have to have a system set up that if you wanted to vote online you would have to request it. There's no guarantee that lists are accurate and current, so I'd be against sending Marty Smith's voting card (with the login info) to 145 Main Street if Jim Allen was the current owner.

Also, when you put in your name and information in the online ballot, does that mean your vote is recorded and that the programmers could see your choices? Or is the actual voter information encrypted somehow? See another issue for me is the voter's right to a secret ballot.

[IEFBR14]

At least Markham, in it's own right, could be considered it's own technology centre with IBM and a long list of other software and tech companies head quartered there!

The world works in mysterious ways. For years when my office was located near Woodbine Ave and YorkTech Drive (particularly ironic when you see what YorkTech is named for) in Markham, Bell Canada couldn't/wouldn't provision DSL in the area, nor Rogers cable Internet. This despite the high concentration of high tech businesses in the area.

BTW I'm chagrined to notice that my software company, HQ'd in Markham for some 20 years now, still isn't included in that "long list" you linked to.

[Shawn]

BTW I'm chagrined to notice that my software company, HQ'd in Markham for some 20 years now, still isn't included in that "long list" you linked to.

Looks like the website relies on the companies to add themselves to the list - at the top of the site it says "If you know of a company that should be on this list please forward information to lannigan@gmail.com"

[taylortbb]

I'd have serious concerns about security and accountability with any online voting scheme. Paper ballots can always be manually recounted, anything recorded electronically cannot be. There's also the issue of guaranteed secrecy, online voting makes it possible for a person to sell their vote, and prove who they voted for. The current system of mandatory secrecy means that no one can coerced or paid to vote a certain way, and no one can tell you who you voted for. There's also the issue of tracking who voted for who. It would be impossible to prevent fraudulent logs unless that information was recorded, but that's also a major breach of secrecy. There's also the possibility of malicious software on a user's computer. In addition, any software used for electronic voting would need to be open source and subject to public review, something I expect most voting software vendors won't agree to (they generally don't for computer voting machines in polling stations). Not having it open would be equivalent to counting ballots in secret. You then also get into verifying the hardware of the server that hosts the application hasn't been tampered with. Even the US department of defense has discovered counterfeit Cisco networking equipment on their networks, if you can get non-genuine hardware past the US DoD imagine how easy it would be to do here. There's of course significantly less incentive, but it's still a possibility, and paper voting isn't exactly broken.

Given how important the security and accountability of voting is I don't think it's something that should even be computerized, never mind connected to the internet. If we're going to do electronic voting then we seriously need to improve standards. There's this great graphic (below) which compares Las Vegas slots and voting machines. Its points apply to voting machines pretty much everywhere though.

[Waterlooer]

I have Bell Expressview so don't get Rogers TV or CTV Kitchener. Do you know if I could watch Rogers online to view the results of the election, or will I have to listen to the radio?

[David]

I don't know Bell's channels, sorry. I know that 570 News will have a program detailing the results (hosted by Jeff Allan, I think...)

[Waterlooer]

I don't know Bell's channels, sorry. I know that 570 News will have a program detailing the results (hosted by Jeff Allan, I think...)

I'll listen to 570 News then And good luck tonight by the way!

[Section ThirtyOne]

I have Bell Expressview so don't get Rogers TV or CTV Kitchener. Do you know if I could watch Rogers online to view the results of the election, or will I have to listen to the radio?

Does your TV accept antenna input? I'd imagine you can get CKCO even with the crappiest of cheap antennas.

[Waterlooer]

Does your TV accept antenna input? I'd imagine you can get CKCO even with the crappiest of cheap antennas.

I do. I'll try that thanks (will it work for satellite?)

[Shawn]

I do. I'll try that thanks (will it work for satellite?)

No. It's old school "bunny ears". Need to connect an antenna or ariel onto your tv. Bypass all other electronics (ie: satellite, dvd, surround sound, ps3 etc).

Once connected, depending on your tv, change the input source to "air" or whatever the choice is for your particular model. If it's an old CRT (tube) TV, then your only choices would probably be Cable or Air. Then change your TV channel to Channel 13 - that is the over-the-air broadcast channel for CKCO - CTV SWO

[Section ThirtyOne]

I do. I'll try that thanks (will it work for satellite?)

Depends on which receiver you have... some models have inputs for external antennas. Check your user manual for more details.

[Waterlooer]

Tried the antenna thing and I now get CTV! Thanks everyone... will they have the election results at 8 or is it only Rogers?

[Urbanomicon]

Tried the antenna thing and I now get CTV! Thanks everyone... will they have the election results at 8 or is it only Rogers?

As I recall, CKCOs coverage doesn't start until 10:00pm. Only Roger's coverage starts at 8:00pm.

[smably]

For those of us in Kitchener, the results will be online here starting at 8: http://app.kitchener.ca/election/election_results.htm

[Greg Moore]

Tried the antenna thing and I now get CTV! Thanks everyone... will they have the election results at 8 or is it only Rogers?

They'll be on at 10. Technically, CKCO is now CTV SWO.