Ballot box errors in municipal vote identified in auditor’s report

EDMONTON Election workers didn’t follow approved processes during the 2017 municipal vote, although it did not impact the outcome of any of the election races, says a new report by the city’s auditor.

Among the issues that arose was a ballot box being left behind, pre-initialled ballots being handed out and instances of lack of secrecy during the voting process, said the audit, which was discussed at a committee meeting Friday.

“A ballot box (was) left behind in a voting station after closing, still containing the ballots cast that day,” the report said. “Once they were notified by the school that hosted the voting station, Edmonton Elections immediately sent staff to retrieve the ballot box. It was determined that two instances of human error led to the issue.”

The report said the election workers in charge of the voting station did not follow required process, which would have included moving ballots to a transfer box and then handing them to other election workers at a specific site.

Iain MacLean, Edmonton’s director of elections and census, said the two recommendations coming out of the audit were about dealing with technology and the hiring and training of workers

A number of polling stations had difficulties with election workers not wanting to stay and assist with closing, which was an expectation of anyone working in voting stations, the report said. In another instance, it was noticed election officials were helping voters in such a way that the secrecy of their vote could be compromised.