Manitoba eyes electronic vote-counting

The Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is proposing changes to allow for votes to be counted electronically and to increase privacy for candidates in provincial elections.

A bill before the legislature calls for the use of electronic machines to count ballots, similar to the way votes in municipal elections are handled in Winnipeg and some other cities.

The bill also proposes allowing voters to cast ballots at any polling station in their constituency on election day instead of at one designated place.

Another change would remove the requirement for candidates to have their home addresses published online.

The opposition parties say they support the bill and privacy for home addresses would offer more security for politicians.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2022.