Public shown new voting equipment
By ALAN LICZYK Staff Reporter

Demonstrating the new electronic vote tabulators to be used in the coming municipal election were (l to r) clerk Cheri Cowan, Chris Iskander from Dominion Voting, and election assistant Darlene Publow.

A demonstration of Caledon's new electronic vote tabulators designed to speed up the municipal election results was given at the Town Hall in Caledon East last Monday.

Chris Iskander, manager of election services from Dominion Voting, said the election results could be in by 8:45 p.m. or 9 p.m. at the latest after the polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 13.

Dominion Voting is a Canadian company that specializes in Canadian elections. It has election experience at the national, provincial and municipal level.

Iskander brought along samples of the ballots and some of the tabulation machines for the public to view. Some of the candidates in the election and other candidates' campaign workers were in attendance for the demonstration.

After a person votes, the ballot is then fed into the tabulation machine. If the voter leaves a voting box blank, the machine will point this out and the voter will have the opportunity to make a correction, Iskander explained.

If a person, for example, only wants to cast a vote for the mayor's race he or she can do so and not have to vote for a councillor or school trustee race.

Town clerk Cheri Cowan noted the polling stations will have one tabulation machine each with the exception of the Caledon Centre for Recreation and

Wellness and the Albion Bolton Community Centre which will have two machines each.

She added the Town has reduced the number of voting locations by seven for this municipal election.

She also explained should people not have their voting card with them when they come to vote they will be asked for photo

identification. Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto are other municipalities that will be asking for photo ID, Cowan said.

Should there be a recount in any race, Cowan said the ballots would be scanned in again in the same way. It will be up to the candidates if they need a scrutineer, she added.