Frequently Asked Questions
Technology
Q. How accurate are these machines?
A. Recounts are often required in municipal elections due to the number of contests and the closer margins. As of 2024, over 60 recounts have occurred with no change to the elected candidate. Recounts of over 70,000 ballots have also occurred in provincial elections, in 10 recounts since 2018, again with no change to the elected candidates. After every provincial election, each returning officer also does an audit, counting the ballots by hand, of one ballot box in their electoral district, to further provide transparency and confirm the accuracy of the tabulated votes.
Q. How do you vote when tabulation machines are used?
A. Electors will receive a paper ballot with circles next to each candidate’s name or plebiscite question. The ballot is placed in a secrecy sleeve so that they can carry the ballot in the polling location without showing their choices.
Using a regular marker, electors simply have to fill in the circles as appropriate, and replace the ballot into the secrecy sleeve. Electors then carry the ballot and sleeve to the tabulation machine officer, who will make sure the ballot is fed through the machine properly, so the votes can be read and recorded by the machine, and the ballot will drop into the sealed ballot box under the machine.
Q. How secure are tabulation machines? Can people tamper with them?
A. Elections NB is confident in the security and reliability of the voting system being used in New Brunswick.
Voters mark individual paper ballots that are available for a hand recount if necessary, which was one of the original conditions Elections NB set for the system chosen. The only thing the machines do is count the ballots, using an optical scanning system, and record the results, but if there were any doubts about the accuracy of that count the ballots would be available for a hand recount. Multiple recounts and regular audits performed since the system began use in 2008 have proven that they are accurate.
It is conceivable that the memory cards used to program the tabulation machines and record the results could be mis-programmed, either deliberately or by mistake, though any honest mistakes would normally be caught by the logic and accuracy testing that occurs prior to the tabulation machines being sent from Fredericton. Because of the multiple witnessed steps performed during accuracy testing , it is highly unlikely that this will occur. All access ports on the tabulation machine are sealed prior to shipment with the numbers being recorded.
Polling Officials do not have access to technology that can reprogram the memory cards or tamper with the machines, and physical access to the machines is limited to polling days only. It is conceivable that additional ballots could be filled out and tabulated by a malicious polling official, but this could occur at any type of election. Because polling officials are always witnessed when handling the ballots, the tabulation machine, or the ballot box, it is highly unlikely that this will occur.
Q. What is an audio vote tabulation machine?
A. There is a tabulation machine located at each returning office that has the capability to allow electors to use an audio vote session. 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. Audio vote is not available at the polling stations.
The voter wears 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 their 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. Why are you using tabulation machines?
A. One of the mandates given to Elections NB by government was to modernize the elections process.
General elections are very complex and we needed to consider ways to modernize and streamline the process. Manual counting of ballots by hand takes a long time, in some cases over 5 hours. After working a long day, having polling officials count ballots by hand often resulted in errors.
Along with updating the processes used at the polling locations, tabulation machines have helped reduce line-ups, speed up the voting process, and improve the speed and accuracy of the counting and reporting process.
The processes used at the polls allow simplified training of polling officials where job functions are clearly defined. In addition, these changes make it easier to provide service to voters in their language of choice.
Q. Could tabulation machines be hacked into through the internet?
A. No. After nominations close, memory cards are programmed in Fredericton by a specific computer with specialized software. The programming of these cards is verified through detailed logic & accuracy testing done in Fredericton prior to being sent to the returning offices. Once a tabulation machine is activateds using a security key and a password, they operate independently, scanning and tabulating ballots. Once the poll is closed, no further votes may be added, and a paper results report is printed showing all votes for each candidate. After the poll is closed, a cellular modem is used to securely transmit a digital file to a secure server, where it is verified and used to report the cast votes. All digital results are double-checked with the original paper results reports the next day.
Q. Do tabulation machines increase line-ups given all the voter had to do before was put a ballot in the box?
A. No. Line-ups occur at the poll while voters are being looked up, added or corrected on the List of Electors, or while having the ballot explained to them. Because of changes to the processes in the polling locations, electors are able to take their time marking their ballots, without making other electors wait. The time required to insert a ballot into the tabulation machine is less than 15 seconds. Should the tabulation machine not immediately accept the ballot, it is usually because it was inserted crookedly, and either the voter or the election officer will reinsert the ballot a second time.
Q. What if the power goes out?
Will the vote(s) be lost?
Will the machine still work?
A. Should the power be interrupted while voting is happening, the tabulation machine will continue to operate using an internal battery. If the power interruption continues for a long time, the machine will shut down and save all the votes cast to that point on its memory cards. In this situation, the ballot box’s auxiliary slot will be opened, and electors will continue to place their ballot through this slot into a second independent compartment in the ballot box.
Once power is restored, the slot is sealed until the end of election day. When the polls close, the Poll Supervisor and any scrutineers present, witness the tabulation machine officer open the auxiliary compartment, remove the ballots, and feed them through the tabulation machine. Once all the ballots are tabulated, the machine can be instructed to produce a results tape.
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. 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. The company's headquarters are in Toronto, Ontario, where it was founded, and Denver, Colorado. The company that was selected through an RFP process because they were able to provide us with the best-overall system province-wide.