FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it necessary to take all CanVote services?

Is the CanVote system accessible to persons with disabilities?

Do electors need to vote at a designated polling location?

Do electors need to vote on election day?

Is it difficult to vote by telephone or internet?

Are the CanVote hardware and software reliable?

Is the CanVote data centre secure?

Is the CanVote system secure?

Are the election results verifiable?

Can there be a recount of the election results?

Is it necessary to take all CanVote services? No. CanVote tailors its services to the specific needs and situation of the election as identified by the returning officer. CanVote can do the voter notification mailing or not. Canvote can provide just internet voting or voting only during the advance voting period. Or CanVote can provide the full set of services described.

Is the CanVote system accessible to persons with disabilities? Yes. CanVote telephone voting is accessible by persons with visual, mobility and other impairments. The CanVote internet voting system is compliant with the W3C standard (www.w3c.org) designed for accessibility not only by voters with visual impairments but also by a wide variety of other disabilities. This includes accessibility using:

- browsers which have been specially developed for people with various disabilities.
- screen-readers which allow visually impaired people to navigate with standard applications,
often used in conjunction with mainstream browsers.
- browsers not specifically designed for disabled people but which have features
that have allowed them to be used in combination with adaptive systems, e.g. Braille keyboards
- voice browsers which give spoken Web access, e.g. by telephone using voice input
or dialed commands and speech output.
- access methods not covered by the previous categories

See http://www.w3.org/WAI/References/Browsing for additional information.

Do electors need to vote at a designated polling location? No. CanVote allows electors to vote toll-free by telephone from anywhere in Canada or the United States and by internet from anywhere in the world with dial internet access or better

Do electors need to vote on election day? No. Electors can vote when it is convenient for them any time 24 hours a day over the extended voting period set by the voting authority

Is it difficult to vote by telephone or internet? No. It is easy. Telephone voting needs only simple button presses in response to questions in your choice of language. Questions are repeated if no answer or an invalid answer is given. Entries are repeated and confirmation is needed for them to be registered. Internet voting needs only a mouse click on the candidate(s) selected. Confirm is required to register the selection(s). Selection of too many candidates is not allowed. Selection of less than the allowed number of candidates causes a verification question.

Are the CanVote hardware and software reliable? Yes. CanVote's system has duplicated hardware and software and duplicated electrical supplies, battery and diesel backups. Voting information is replicated in real time on two separate databases on separate servers and also backed up to a remote site. The hardware, operating systems and software are monitored 24x7 to ensure their proper operation. CanVote's system has operated successfully for Ontario municipal elections and for university and union elections.

Is the CanVote data centre secure? Yes. The CanVote data centre utilizes advanced security measures to ensure that the systems are protected at all times. A hardened perimeter comprised of reinforced walls and bulletproof glass at key entry points is the first point of defence. Security officers are present 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. A complex network of video cameras monitors the facility and digitally archives all activity. Access to the data centre is controlled by biometric scanners and protected by bulletproof, anti-hostage entrances.

Is the CanVote system secure? Yes. Firewalls and other intrusion detection technologies protect from hackers and other unauthorized access attempts. All voter and administrative access is protected by individual identification numbers and passwords. All administrative changes to voter lists and election parameters are identified and logged. All transmissions are 128-bit encrypted using the same SSL technology used by banks.

Are the election results verifiable? Yes. CanVote records a time stamped log of all voter activity to a non-volatile medium. Items recorded include successful and unsuccessful access attempts and offices voted. This record is available to auditors for reconciliation with the number of votes reported and with statements made by voters on their voting actions.

Can there be a recount of the election results? Yes. CanVote creates a time stamped log file of all voting activity. Copies of the results, the log file, the software and other relevant information are retained by CanVote for the prescribed period after the election. This information is available to authorities in the case of a recount.