The Alberta Government introduced new legislation on Thursday meant to increase trust in local elections, including getting rid of electronic vote counting.
Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver tabled Bill 20, The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, which would remove all electronic voting machines such as tabulators from the vote count process.
“Albertans expect fair and free elections,” McIver said.
“What’s most important is protecting the institution that people trust,” he told The Counter Signal on Thursday.
“The morning after an election when hopefully the smoke is all cleared and all votes have been counted and the winners have been announced, that members of the public believe that those that were called the winners, were the winners legitimately,” he added.
Mclver did not mention whether the tabulators have been faulty in the past, however, he said numerous Albertans do not trust electronic voting machines which created an issue of confidence in local authorities.
These changes will come into force immediately pending royal assent.
Additional amendments
Bill 20 would also amend the Local Authorities Election Act and the Municipal Government Act by requiring third-party advertisers to register and report all finances if interested in a plebiscite, and disallow direct association with existing federal political parties or provincial ones such as the UCP or NDP.
“In other words, local government will remain local,” Mclver said. “Albertans will not see a municipal UCP party, for example, or a municipal NDP party, or a municipal Liberal party with any kind of direct connection to a provincial or federal party, or even be affiliated with a different name, it just won’t be allowed.”
The amendment would also limit the ability for individuals to vouch for another individual’s address when voting, strengthening voter ID requirements.
Other alterations to the Election Act include allowing municipalities to require a criminal record check for candidates, and removing elected councilors if in the best interest of the public.
