Sask. govt. rejects recommendation to use vote counting machines in elections

The Saskatchewan government has voted against having counting machines in the 2024 general election despite a recommendation from the province's chief electoral officer and their use in the recent byelection.

This week, the Board of Internal Economy, a committee of MLAs from the government and Opposition, heard from Saskatchewan's Chief Electoral Officer Michael Boda. Earlier this year, he presented the committee with recommendations to modernize how the province conducts its elections.

The committee decided to adopt some of Boda's recommendations but not all of them. The Saskatchewan Party members rejected the recommendation to introduce vote counting machines.

The machines were used in last week's byelection because under legislation Boda can operate a byelection without the government committee's approval. For the general election, the committee decides the process and procedures.

Boda said the machines resulted in extremely quick results and when double-checked by a hand count showed no errors.

"There was a very positive reaction from voters and from our workers."

Paper ballots

Boda also stressed that vote counting machines should not be confused with voting machines, which are not being proposed. 

Voters still cast a paper ballot. 

"Technology increases the integrity of the process. We are being thoughtful. We are testing. We are being methodical. We want to move forward into a modern approach that allows broader access to voters across the province."

Boda said legislators determine how to run the election, he is tasked with seeing that through.

In "30 years of experience in election administration, I can tell you I have not found any study that suggests hand counting is more accurate than vote-counting equipment."

Boda said the byelection proved the vote counting machine total matched the number of ballots cast.

"There was some error on the hand counting side, but once they were counted again (by hand) they matched the machine."

"It's demonstrated that this improves the integrity of the system."

He said elections workers can work a 12-hour day and are asked to count ballots by hand.

"They are then asked to do the hardest part of the process they hand count the ballots and they make mistakes."

If vote counting machines were approved, ballots would still be counted by hand as well to confirm the vote.

Government support not expected in future: minister

Jeremy Harrison, Minister of Trade and Export Development and a member of the BOIE, defended the government's position on vote counting machines.

"The position of the Government of Saskatchewan is that a ballot cast by hand should be counted by hand under the supervision of accredited scrutineers. The government does not, and will not, support the use of electronic vote counting machines for future general elections. We have made this clear to the Chief Electoral Officer," Harrison said in a statement.

Harrison said the government did not support the use of the voting counting machines in the byelection but did not have the authority to prevent them from being used.

Saskatchewan is one of a— few provinces not using vote counters. Ontario has used them for two elections, Manitoba and B.C. will be using them and they were recently used in the recent Alberta election.

Saskatoon and Regina have used vote counting machines for more than a decade and they are used in leadership contests for political parties.

Elections Canada does not use vote counting machines.

Harrison said the government wants people counting the ballots.

"Our view is that the integrity — and perception of integrity — of our election system is best served by officials conducting the ballot count, while being observed by accredited scrutineers."

Boda said the role of scrutineers, party representatives who observe the process, can still have a role with technology.

"The number of scrutineers has diminished over the years." 

He said parties want the information of who has voted for their "get ot the vote" campaign and said that can still be accessed through electronic poll books.

Electronic poll books increase efficiency: Boda 

Boda had hoped to pair the vote counting machines with electronic poll books which were used in tandem in the byelection.

"The use of electronic poll books combined with voting counting technology does speed up the process significantly."

The poll books allow workers to cross off a voter electronically rather than on paper.

Not only is efficiency increased, Boda said it requires fewer workers.

"Normally we would require about 150 people to run a byelection in an urban constituency, in this byelection we needed just 29."

Boda said the manual polls which were in place in some areas of the Lumsden-Morse constituency took until after 10 p.m. to finish. We had a ballot confirmation process that was overseen by a former chief justice. Boda said the hand count confirmation matched the machine totals.

"The technology polls reported within 26 minutes on the last day of voting."

The committee voted against the use of electronic poll books throughout the province.

Boda said in the 2024 election, poll books will be used in the major centres but not in rural areas. He has been asked to report back to the committee on how to use electronic poll books without vote counters.

Boda said de-coupling the vote counting machines from poll books would cause certain issues and will report back to the committee on the topic.

A proposal to allow voters who work in one part of the province but are residents in another area, referred to as "vote anywhere" was also rejected. Boda said it is not possible without the pairing of electronic poll books and voting counting machines.

Opposition voted for Boda's recommendations

The Opposition committee members voted in favour of Boda's recommendations.

Committee member and Regina Douglas Park NDP MLA Nicole Sarauer said the proposed changes "were rooted in study and fact" and had been discussed by Boda for many years.

She said concerns from Harrison and the government "are not rooted in fact or logic."

"We're are not supportive of pandering to conspiracy theories and we not afraid of technology," Sarauer said.

"It feels like the Sask. Party is tagging onto and fanning the flames of conspiracies that we've seen in other locations like the United States," Sarauer said.

Take Back Alberta, the right wing fringe of the United Conservative Party, has also been saying they want the vote counting machines removed, she added. 

"This is not electronic voting this is electronic vote counting."

Elections Alberta reported no issues with their use of the vote counting machines this past spring, but said a vote anywhere option delayed some results.

Sarauer said she is concerned about de-coupling poll books from electronic voting counters.

"If you remove one it makes it difficult to do another."

Voting week and mail-in voting expansion approved

Boda had made recommendations to the committee in the following areas:

• Vote counting machines and electronic poll books.
• Vote anywhere.
• A voting week.
• Polling division adjustments.
• Vote by mail (2020 election model).

Boda said the proposed changes were following best practices in running elections.

The committee voted in favour of a voting week, expanded vote-by-mail and changed poll distribution limits.

Boda said moving from advanced polls and election day to a voting week will broaden access to voting.

He said 56,000 people used the vote by mail in 2020 and expects high uptake in 2024.

The committee approved changes to poll distribution limits, which will allow for more than 300 voters in a particular poll.

"Overall we're looking at a system that has been in place since 1905. What we are trying to do is move away from a system where you have 300 voters in a geographic location and there are two officials and you must go there to vote on election day."

Boda said he and his staff will need all the time until the election date of Oct. 28, 2024 to get ready.

"We require that time to get the system in place and ready to go."