万锦市必须解决去年10月市选中出现的问题

万锦市上一次的市政选举中，市民和众多候选人对投票违规行为和投票时遇到的麻烦非常不满。虽然有人向万锦市政府投诉，但市政府的反应令人不满。

There has been a great deal of dissatisfaction among members of the public and numerous candidates over perceived irregularities and barriers to voting in the last municipal election in Markham. Some of these have been addressed to Markham City staff with unsatisfactory results.


 
2018年10月22日的市选投票的晚上，选举结果在晚上十一点才公布在市政府的网站上，距投票结束三小时。万锦市政府至今没有对那些投诉的候选人和选民的疑问做出答复。很多人都在猜测，究竟为何投票结果的公布如此缓慢和拖延。这个问题只有那些负责选举的人才能回答。人们要问为什么万锦市的投票结果要比其他城市得公布得晚？

On the night of the Municipal Election, Oct. 22, 2018, the election results were not available on Markham's website until eleven o'clock, three hours after the polls were closed. Since then, the city clerk has not responded to inquiries from candidates and residents on this subject. There has been a good deal of speculation as to the cause of this lengthy and unusual delay but only those responsible can provide the requisite answers. Other municipalities posted the results far ahead of Markham. Why?

此外，投票过程中所发生的问题，特别是用于验证选票的手段，也让人起疑心。有报告说，有些选民在选举期间拿到了多个投票身份的认证码，也就是说他们可以多次投票。为什么会发生这种情况？有措施防止这种情况再发生吗？如果没人给出答案，选民和候选人都无法相信这种电子投票系统，以及该系统的透明度，公信和完整性，也无法让人们在未来的选举中对此系统有信心。

Furthermore, questions relating to certain operations of the voting process, especially methods employed in the verification and validation of ballots, have also gone unanswered. Throughout the election, according to reports, some voters were given multiple Personal Identification Number (PIN's) - effectively multiple ballots. How did that happen and what is being done to prevent it happening again? Without answers to these questions residents and candidates cannot be assured of the transparency, accountability and integrity of our electronic voting system, nor can they have confidence in that system for future elections.



为了激发人们参与投票的热情，市政府曾在市内的多个图书馆举行了“见面和打招呼”的活动，但该活动也让许多人忧心忡忡。总的来说，参加这个活动的人数虽然不多，但它却取代了历来由选民组织的，所有市选候选人参加的辩论会。有人抱怨说，教育委员候选人没有应邀参加“见面和打招呼”的活动。有人建议，市府今后可以让选民组织免费使用图书馆的房间，召开所有候选人参与的竞选辩论会，从而达到让百姓参与选举的兴趣，巩固民主选举进程。

There have also been many concerns expressed about the City's utilization of its public libraries to hold “meet and greet” events as a way of generating interest in the election. Overall these events were poorly attended but had the unfortunate effect of replacing the traditional, well attended, All Candidates Meetings traditionally held by local ratepayer groups. It was also noted that School trustee candidates were excluded from these meetings as well. It is suggested that in future the City can generate interest and better support the democratic process by having each library offer rooms without cost to local ratepayer groups that wish to hold an All Candidates Meeting in that Ward.
 
有许多报道称，电子投票系统让选民们不知所措。那些没有计算机知识的选民根本不知道如何使用这一令他们头疼的系统。这些选民，特别是老年人，只习惯到投票站亲自投票，结果因投票方式改革而被剥夺了选举权。我们留意到，很多老年选民跑到当地学校投票，结果发现投票站已经关闭。他们赶不上或无法去选区的社区中心投票。

There have been many reports that the electronic voting system created chaos among voters and that it was not user friendly to those voters who are not computer literate. These voters, especially the elderly, were often disenfranchised by the decision to eliminate local, in-person, voting stations. We have observed many showing up at local schools trying to vote, only to find them closed, and then having inadequate time or ability to get to the community centre in their Ward.


 
另外有报道说，虽然发生了多起选举广告牌违规的事件，但市政府不闻不问。对于那些循规蹈矩的候选人来说，他们非常沮丧，因为这有时会损害他们当选的机会。

There have also been multiple reports of Markham's election sign bylaws being violated without any oversight or enforcement by City officials. This is very discouraging for those candidates who strive to obey the sign bylaws, sometimes to their detriment.

对和选民那些希望当选为政客的人说，对选举系统的机制，过程和结果不起疑心非常重要。不规范，前后不一和不确信将导致未来的候选人不愿拿钱和自己的声誉参加竞选。这个问题要不惜一切代价来解决。

It is extremely important for those who wish to run for public office and for the public-at-large to have complete confidence in the mechanism of the voting system, its process and the results of that process. Irregularities, inconsistencies and uncertainty will cause future candidates to not come forward and invest their money and reputation in the effort to get elected. These mistakes should be avoided at all costs.


 
万锦市议会议员们本月与市政府工作人员开了会，并将这些问题反映给他们。市议会将这些问题列入四月市民可以参加的会议的议程。选民和曾参加过选举的候选人可以在会上发言并听取对这些问题的答复。

Markham Council members met with the staff this month and put forward some of these issues to the City staff. City Council will now put this matter on their agenda for a public meeting with advanced public notice in April. Voters and candidates from the past election can speak and hear the answers to these questions during that meeting.
 
不论过去和将来，我们都必须保证选举过程的透明的，选举要有人负责，并尽可能以最民主的方式满足所有选民的需要。我鼓励万锦市的所有读者参加即将举行的会议。

We all need to be assured that the election process was, and will continue to be, transparent, accountable, and serving the needs of all voters in the most democratic way possible. I encourage all readers in Markham to participate in that upcoming event.