WHEREAS the Local Government Act, Part 3, Division 12 regulates Civic Election Voting and specifically the Counting of the Vote processes; AND WHEREAS the Local Government Act, Part 3, Division 12, has not taken into consideration the changes in processes necessary when electronic voting machines are being used in an election, such as there being no need to mark a cross on an electronic ballot or to fold an electronic ballot or seal an electronic voting machine before reopening it to count the ballots: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities urge the Province to make changes to the Local Government Act, Part 3, to accommodate electronic voting machines, which are now being used by many local governments.
MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY SERVICES In addition to permitting the use of automated voting machines, vote recorders, or other devices for voting in an election, section 102 of the Local Government Act requires the local government to enact by bylaw alternative procedures for voting and counting when using vote tabulating machines. This allows each local government that selects a particular model of vote tabulating machine to enact procedures that are appropriate for that model. In the 2005 general local election, 37 of local governments used one of the three vote tabulating systems available at that time. The Local Government Management Associations Election Manual contains sample bylaws with procedures for common models of vote tabulating machines. Therefore, it appears that the legislation sufficiently addresses this issue and that there are resources to assist local governments to develop procedures.