Competitive bids for the equipment needed to allow Sudburians to vote online and by paper ballot came in $500,000 higher than they were in 2014, city council will hear next week.
As a result, the report recommends going to an Internet-only vote, with two options for helping residents who aren't comfortable or able to cast a ballot online.
The problem, the report says, may be traced to the surge in popularity of voting online in cities across the province.
“The 2018 municipal and school board election coincides with a number of municipal and provincial elections,” the report says.
“A number of municipalities, as well as the Province of Ontario, are making the move towards the use of more advanced voting technologies in their elections. This higher demand for technology has put a strain on the resources of the handful of companies that provide election voting and vote counting equipment.
“This has created a 'perfect storm,' which may have played a role in the low number of bids received by the City of Greater Sudbury, and the significant rise in election equipment costs.”
The lowest bid to handle both online and paper ballots came in at $937,546, compared to $391,061 in the 2014 election. And even that bid had issues they were unable to resolve, the report says.
“The Internet voting solution provided for in the combined bid omitted important information regarding the security and capabilities of the solution,” the report says.
“Clarification was requested, however, the responses provided by the proponent did not provide the information that staff needed to feel comfortable in recommending the proposal for approval to council.”
The bidding company also had very limited experience, having been involved in just one referendum vote.
The online-only bid came in at $286,342, and while the company had the experience and qualifications to do the job, the bid was for the advance voting period only.
The report recommends issuing another RFP, this time for online voting only, for the advance period and voting day. To help voters not comfortable online, the city's libraries and community service centres would become help centres for voters.
“The election bus will be deployed as a mobile electronic voting location during the advance voting period,” the report says. “On election day, electronic voting locations will be set up in a number of nursing and long-term care facilities.”
The second option would include electronic voting centres set up across the city, similar to the number of paper ballot sites used traditionally used in elections.
“The addition of in-person electronic voting locations on election day will allow voters to attend at a physical location to cast their ballot online,” the report says.
“(And) by establishing voter help centres at citizen service centres, voters who are unsure of how to vote online or who require assistance will be given the help and support they need to cast their vote with confidence.
“Additionally, by using the Internet Voting Solution in nursing and long-term care facilities, voting opportunities are increased for residents as the solution makes it possible to move throughout the location with mobile devices.”
Councillors will decide on the matter at their meeting May 30.
Read the full report here.
