Malaysia Airlines cited in St. John's online voting debate
CBC News | Posted: March 19, 2014 11:54 AM | Last Updated: March 19, 2014
The City of St. John's will ask the Newfoundland and Labrador government to approve internet voting for municipal elections, although one councillor is skeptical about whether it will work.
Coun. Wally Collins told Tuesday's meeting that he does not like online voting because someone could manipulate technology to affect the outcome.
Collins raised the spectre of the disappearance Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which lost contact with air traffic control on March 8.
"You take even that airplane that was lost 10 year, 10 days ago down in Malaysia. I mean, nobody know what happened to that," Collins told the meeting.
"They turned on a button, or they turned off the buttons ... All this is subject to hackers."
System could have broad appeal: mayor
Mayor Dennis O'Keefe endorses internet voting, adding that a properly designed system would encourage more people to cast ballots.
"We need to put options into our voting system that will allow as many people to vote as easily as they can possibly vote, in a secure fashion, and that includes the option of internet voting," O'Keefe told the meeting.
While councillors have voted to ask government to pass legislation that would make online voting possible, there is no guarantee that the measures will be in place for the next municipal elections in 2017.