EBC on THA election: Digital count won’t influence voting

The Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) is assuring Tobagonians that its move to introduce new technology for the Tobago House of Assembly election on Monday is not an attempt to influence the outcome or manipulate the voting system.

Instead, it’s intended to keep track of the voter turnout.

During a live demonstration at the Magdalena Grand Gulf and Beach Resort, on exactly how the pilot project will operate parallel to the existing voting system, the commission’s CEO Fern Narcis-Scope said the system is safe, secure and is in no way involved in the traditional process.

“I could say this 100 times, nothing has changed with this process. It’s simply an additional individual sending us data in real-time. This process is about those that come into the station on election day,” she told the media on Saturday afternoon.

“We are not relying on this data for anything other than analysis.”

The live demonstration showed the voter entering the station, sanitising and presenting the polling card along with a valid form of ID to the polling clerk.

The voter will follow the usual process of going to the deputy presiding officer’s station where further verification is done and devices are left in the holding basket at the station. Then the voter will proceed to the ballot box to vote.

At this point, the process is adjusted slightly where another station is set up, away from the ballot box, for data entry using specialised software installed on a device.

After a vote has been completed the voter will be asked to confirm the vote was done by showing the red-stained voting finger.

The deputy presiding officer will update the count on the device. This will be done in the full view of the returning officer of each contesting party.

EBC officials would have access to real-time updates, throughout the day, as voters come out to vote. The EBC has identified 13 polling stations in two districts – Scarborough/Mt Grace and Mt St George/Goodwood – for the pilot project.

In the event of unforeseen issues in the trial stages of the new tracking system, Narcis-Scope said the voting process will still continue with ease.

“By doing this we will know what backup plan we would need in place…We hope this improves the ability to provide information on the election he the very given day to the public.

“With three elections expected to happen in 2025, we took a step back and said, ‘What can we work and fix that won’t cost too much money to implement?’

“Each election we try to do better, and not only in terms of training but on what can we do to give a better service to the political parties, candidates, electors, and the media.”

Narcis-Scope touched on plans to evolve the system into a reliable data-driven tool for the public which will include collaboration with internet service providers and an in-house ITC specialist.

The EBC further assured voters that all is in place to ensure all covid19 protocols are adhered to.

All political parties and independent candidates were invited to the demonstration but none was present.

The PDP publicly refused the EBC’s invitation to witness the live demonstration after calling on the commission to rethink its decision to introduce any new functions on election day.

In a letter responding to the commission’s invitation, PDP political leader Watson Duke said the party stands by its call against the introduction of new technology for the election.

Hours before the event, Duke’s brief letter said, “We believe that it is careless and high-handed.” The party accused the EBC of bias and welcomed future open conversations after Monday.

In its first letter the party said even though it appreciated the need to streamline and make efficient all functions within the EBC, it doesn’t think the move to use a new system that has never been tested is the best decision at a critical point like this for the island.

The PDP also raised issues that there was no consultation with any of Tobago’s political parties.

The EBC in reply said the information collected from the project will be used to “establish the efficiency of the process and inform the future development in the electoral management process.

“All voting processes and procedures being utilised in these two districts and all other electoral districts on poll day will continue to be the same as in previous elections. The pilot project will operate in addition to the same manual process.”

It assured the party that “in no way shall the project replace the traditional process.”

The Opposition UNC has also strongly objected against the use of technology at polling stations for Tobago’s election.

In a letter sent to Narcis-Scope Friday, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar saw the move as vague and said it raised many questions, putting “our faith in a free, fair electoral process in serious doubt.”

She said consultation with the Opposition was necessary before this move was considered.

“We (UNC) would like to know by what law is the EBC empowered to make such a radical change to the electoral process and why the EBC believes it is lawful to ignore the consultation with the Opposition on such a change.”

While the UNC is fielding no candidates in Monday’s election, Persad-Bissessar said, “As the official opposition in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, we are a key stakeholders in the democratic process.”

The Opposition, she claimed, “has the primary responsibility to uphold the democratic process and to defend the Constitution from abuse by the Government and by the State as a whole.”

The technology being used by the EBC may not be limited to Tobago and could be used in Trinidad as well, she said.

Persad-Bissessar claimed the EBC knew in advance about testing this technology in polling stations in Tobago on Monday and did not inform political parties about it in a timely manner.

Responding to a question on this, Narcis-Scope acknowledged concerns raised by other parties adding that there are plans to have future discussions on the matter.

Communication officer Bobbi Rogers said the EBC will be ready to deal with any confusion between polling stations among voters. She encouraged voters to visit the website to confirm which polling stations they would be required to visit to vote.