Internet Voting Poses Many Questions
Saturday, August 11, 2012 @ 4:14 AM
Prince George, B.C. – The possibility of being able to vote electronically in provincial and municipal elections in B.C. has been thrown out for public discussion by the Liberal government of Premier Christy Clark.
The government has asked the chief electoral officer to put together an independent panel which will look into the pros and cons of Internet voting. The panel is to identify any possible technological or logistical barriers to electronic voting after studying other jurisdictions in which such a system has been tried.
Initial public response has been mixed. Some people feel it is time to move ahead with technology and implement such a system, while others say electronic voting would be wide open to fraud, manipulation, hackers and possible system malfunctions.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond is not presently available to discuss the issue with 250 News, but does say in a written statement that “All of us are interested in increasing the voter turnout in elections, whether provincial or municipal. So it is time we explored whether or not we can maintain the integrity of elections while considering new options. I am confident that an independent panel will look at the issue and provide us with good advice. The Chief Electoral Officer is an independent officer of the legislature and as such will ensure the work is done thoroughly and as expeditiously as possible.”
Comments
If I won’t trust the internet to do my banking, why the hell should I trust it for voting? This is all a bunch of Liberal BS
PIN numbers can be stolen, and PIN numbers can be sold.
Well internet voting would be convenient, I doubt it would ever be practical.
Please stop with all the paranoia of online voting being an insecure process.
Is it any less secure than being allowed to vote with your face covered? In Canada, you can do this and nobody seems to mind.
Security be damned. If you can’t even make the effort to go out and vote, you don’t deserve to be counted.
Will anyone believe the count? I mean look what the Conservatives did to get elected? Robo calls! What about robo voting.
Right on deadwood I totally agree!
There is no way in hell internet voting can be made secure enough for anyone to believe the results.
Issuing a PIN number to voters is laughable at best for the reasons pointed out above.
Lots of professional programmers on here with tin foil hats I see…
Why the irrational fear of the internet? Oh yeah, this is O250… Irrational fear is the norm around here.
The standard way of voting can also be compromised.
It’s 2012 people. Time to get on board.
I want punch card voting …. I love hanging chads …..
BTW, if we find a way to vote securely by internet or some other electronic means, we have to keep in the back of our minds that MLAs and MPs and City Councils may shortly thereafter become a concept of the past.
http://opengov.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Internet-Voting-to…for…/3225-4049
Online voting is like an oil pipeline. One is sure to leak while the other is sure to get hacked.
Our current govt doesn’t have a mandate to make this type of decision this close to them getting their butts kicked out of office.
Irrational fear? That’s funny. The NDP online voting used during their convention was hacked. Irrational fears alright.
Funny you guys say its a bad idea. I am all for it. I don’t vote ever on anything, but I would vote if I could do it from my computer at home.
Give your head a shake if you think Online banking isn’t secure. If the banks are ok with it then you know its good as its their risk.
Also. The government does EI online and other things with no issues. If they do it it will be done properly.
Is there a chance of being hacked sure, but at the same time there is also a chance when you vote at the poll that can be “hacked” as well.
How do I know that when I put my ballot in a box, or into a scanner that it gets counted?
Unlike some countries, we do not get observers from another country or more to come into Canada to validate the process.
Yes Dragon, your years of truck driving has given you the expertise to judge pipelines and online services. I know Lad 1 is where all the real experts hang out ;)
PS – thank you Potholes. If you worry about online banking you probably duct tape your windows too. The security is available, its just expensive lol
A more detailed look at the possibility of secure internet voting.
http://safevote.com/internetvoting.htm
I think the danger is if it works. Because of the low cost, it means we could start requiring the government to get public approval on anything they didn’t put in their election platform. Want to bring in HST, post the question to the webpage, and let the people vote on it – with essentially zero cost. It could actually create true democracy, which is why on one hand politicians will say they want it, and then find a way to make sure it never works.
Far more important that internet voting is to have a verifiable vote. We don’t even have that now so how could we consider internet voting.
IMO voter passes qualification to vote and gets a scanable ballot with an anonymous reference number only known by the actual person holding the ballot. Once at home on the internet the voter could look up their reference number and confirm that it is in the proper ballot tally to ensure it in fact was counted and counted correctly.
Maybe then more people would have faith in the system. Currently with the companies involved in vote counting and their political connections, scandals, and proven back doors to hack the systems… I have no faith in our elections actually reflecting the will of the voters. Less so if done the way of the last federal ndp vote administered by a vote fraud Spanish multinational.
Hey interceptor..why are you such a douche?
Years of truck driving?
Lol – no Dragon, actually a pretty nice guy. Just like pushing buttons. I’ve never driven a truck but we probably share a lot of lifestyle similarities. I just don’t follow the “mob” on issues ;)
I figured it must be the Lieberals that introduced the scandelous ON LINE VOTING because that is the only way they could scare up any votes, as it is they couldn’t manage a juice stand in the Sahara Desert.
If you’re too lazy to get off of the couch and put the remote down long enough to go out and vote then I just feel sorry for you.
Hey guys, try not to say anything on here that you wouldn’t say to someone face to face.
You’re right Give more – reading back that was a little harsher sounding than I meant. I apologize :)
I’d say no to internet voting. There is just too much corruption going on in this Government right now to be able to trust online voting system of their suggestion right now.An online voting system is just too much like computerized gambling. Both can be fixed.
Just like gus said hammy, how do you know your current vote is being counted under the current system? When you put your piece of paper in the machine, how do you know where it goes or if it is being counted properly?
Every political party has people on hand at the voter stations to ensure that the votes are counted correctly.
Surefire is correct. This idea is being floated by the **Liberals** who have a reputation of being less than honest. They are also high on BS and low on honesty and integrity.
Lets remember that at least 1/3 of the eligible voters do not have a computer. NOT everyone sits at home (or the office) and plays with their computers every day. So a large percentage of the population would still have to go to the polls to vote.
This is a Liberal ploy to try and get more votes, by having their lazy, supporters sit on their asses and vote from home.
Any and I mean **any** idea’s put forward by the Liberal Government of BC is suspect. The past few years have shown us without any doubt that they are incorrigible. We need to send them packing. A long rest from politics might get them back to their senses.
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