Jean raises concerns over voting procedures for UCP leadership race
CALGARY Leadership candidate Brian Jean sounded the alarm over the electronic voting system in the United Conservative Party’s leadership contest, saying Wednesday thousands of party members may not be able to vote because they aren’t registered with the party.
But with the deadline for party members to register less than two days away, UCP officials say the process is running smoothly aside from a few hiccups.
To select the new party’s first leader, UCP members will vote online or by phone in the three-day period ending Oct. 28. UCPers had to have their party membership by Sept. 29 and then register, providing proof of identity, by 5 p.m. this Friday, either by mail or online.
But in a news release and Facebook video released Wednesday, Jean said that under the “complicated” and “cumbersome” system, many members don’t even realize they have to register as the second step in the process.
Many of those who do try to register are encountering technical problems, especially in rural Alberta where internet service is slower, said the Fort McMurrayConklin MLA and former Wildrose leader.
“Unfortunately, our party committee has chosen a leadership election system where, if things don’t change, over 40,000 party members may not be able to vote,” said Jean.
“I’m not happy at all with the system. It’s not built to be easy for members.”
The UCP is not officially releasing membership numbers, though Ed Ammar, chair of the party’s joint interim board, said last week the party’s ranks number about 115,000 members.
The party’s executive director, Janice Harrington, rejected the contention there are problems with the system beyond a few stumbling blocks.
In an interview, she said there were already 50,000 members registered by Wednesday afternoon, with party staff registering members at a rate of seven per minute.
“Considering that past leadership experience (has) shown that 65 per cent of members at most participate, I’m very confident that as many members who want to register will get registered,” said Harrington.
“It’s working extraordinarily well, actually.”
Harrington said less than eight per cent of memberships had been rejected, mainly because the members hadn’t provided required information. Party staff work with those members to ensure they can register, she said.
The UCP has also worked hard to ensure members know they must register, to the point that the party has annoyed some members because of too much contact, said Harrington, adding that campaigns also play a role in spreading the information.
The other leadership campaigns acknowledged some issues with the registration process, though they declined to criticize the party.
Evan Legate, campaign manager for Calgary lawyer Doug Schweitzer, said in an interview there is “very low awareness” of the registration deadline and the campaign has been hearing “frustrations” about the system.
“There’s definitely been some technical issues, but we understand the need for the vote to be secure and follow the guidelines,” he said.
Blaise Boehmer, spokesman for former Progressive Conservative leader Jason Kenney, said the campaign has set up 30 kiosks across the province to help members register.
He said in an email statement that Jean had pushed for an early leadership vote in the unity discussions between the Wildrose and PC parties that led to the formation of the UCP, which helped lead to the current system.
“While the voting system established by the party is not what we preferred, we’re doing our best to enfranchise every UCP member in this very important vote. Criticizing the system seems counterproductive at this point,” said Boehmer.