Elections New Brunswick, Canada

Technology


What is an audio vote tabulation machine?
How accurate are these machines?
Will these machines benefit voters from the disability community?
What is the name of the company supplying the tabulation machines?

Q.  What is an audio vote tabulation machine?

A.  There is an audio vote tabulation machine located at each returning office. It assists visually impaired voters, those who have difficulty reading, those who are physically unable to mark a ballot independently, or any other voters who request to vote this way. They are not available at the polling stations.

The voter will wear a headset, and hear the choices of candidates. Using a Braille controller, a sip and puff device, or a paddle device, the voter will make his or her choice and a ballot will be printed with the voter's choice indicated. The machine can also perform an audio review of the ballot for the voter to ensure that the marks were printed correctly prior to the ballot being deposited into the ballot box.



Q.  How accurate are these machines?

A.  In 2005 and 2012, there have been recounts each involving some 7,000 ballots. The machines proved to be more reliable and accurate than the hand-counting officials.

Other recounts and audits performed by Elections NB over the years have all shown the tabulation machines count the vote accurately and consistently.

They have been used in elections across Canada in other provinces with great success.



Q.  Will these machines benefit voters from the disability community?

A.  Yes. There is an audio vote capability and this will benefit visually impaired voters, those who have difficulty reading, and others who request to vote this way. For this round of elections the audio-vote system is only available at returning offices.



Q.  What is the name of the company supplying the tabulation machines?

A.  Dominion Voting Systems Corporation, from Toronto, Ontario is the company that was selected through an RFP process. They are able to provide us with the best-overall system province wide. The company makes and services only election-related equipment and technology.