United Conservative Party (UCP) members are reasonably confident in the process of verifying and counting the ballots that will determine Premier Jason Kenney’s fate..It’s the chain of custody of ballots along their journey to the auditor Deloitte Canada that has raised alarm..As is the habit of UCP officials, another day brought another startling new rule. .The latest change — allowing ballots to be dropped off at constituency offices (CA) polling stations — generated concerns about the potential for ballot harvesting..UCP officials first declared the only way to protect the integrity of Kenney’s leadership review, demanded by 22 CAs, was to hold an in-person vote in Red Deer..Despite protests and threats of legal action, they changed the April 9 special general meeting (SGM) to a virtual meeting and opted for mail-in ballots..Now, although the UCP website tells members to drop ballots in a mailbox, they can take them to constituency office polling stations for group collection to be sent to Deloitte..“This makes a lot of us super uncomfortable over the chain of custody is over those ballots if you allow CAs to collect them with the intention of sending them by group to the auditor,” said Olds-Didbury-Three Hills CA President Rob Smith.. Screen-Shot-2022-04-10-at-10.45.24-AMRob Smith .“It doesn’t inspire trust,” said Smith, who presides over House Speaker Nathan Cooper’s board..During a call last week with UCP Board President Cynthia Moore and several CA presidents, Chief Returning Officer Rick Orman explained the process of counting and handling the ballots once they’re in Deloitte’s possession..“I think a lot of us that were fairly sceptical felt that process sounds quite foolproof,” said Smith..Orman recently told the Western Standard said are “fail-safe methods built into the system” to ensure the “person that bought the membership is the person whose name is on the ballot.”.Opening and counting the ballots will be livestreamed..But the latest rule change revived concerns. .“That they may be handled in groups that involve either party volunteers or representatives of the party, be it at the local level or not, just strikes me as what could be a tremendous breach of the privacy and the chain of custody of those ballots,” said Smith..Are there concerns about ballot harvesting?.“Why not? In reality, why not?” said Smith..“We know about these little rallies that were taking place —I’ve talked to people that were there — organized by pro-Kenney forces, including the premier, that involved a lot of paper memberships purchased in just days before that March 19, 11:59 p.m. deadline.”.That was the original deadline to purchase a membership to be allowed to vote..“The idea of perhaps a number of those members — a lot of which were brand new memberships as opposed to renewals — getting together collectively, or by community to fill out ballots, certainly leads to concerns about ballot harvesting.”.That photo ID must be attached means it “will be less likely any kind of fraud, or perception of fraud to take place,” said Smith..“But the idea of being in a central area where there’s a number of people perhaps handling that information just ends up undermining that whole process.”.During a March meeting, Moore said CAs assisting members was allowable, said Smith..“How it was justified was that if you had members that want to vote but perhaps aren’t particularly tech-savvy, they wouldn’t necessarily know how to print a picture off of a photo ID, there would be nothing wrong with setting up opportunities to get people together regardless of location.”.“The way they presented it was you would get that information for them or get that identification confirmation for them. So, they go off and fill in their ballot and submit it themselves.”.Smith agrees with MLAs who have protested, one who declared the leadership review turned into a circus..“There is very little trust in the party. Certainly not just its leader, but also not in the party proper.”.In his address to the UCP at Saturday’s SGM, Kenney offered two paths forward — division or unity. .Division in the UCP would ensure an NDP victory in the 2023 provincial election, warned Kenney..This latest rule change will drive a further wedge in an already badly fractured party seething with distrust..“Premier Kenney continues to really understate or underestimate the rationale why so many of us believe that he is no longer fit to be our leader,” said Smith..“It has nothing to do with right-wing politics. It’s not anything to do with pandemic restrictions.”.“It’s to do with his comportment and capability to lead, and his continued insistence upon creation of the tyrannical Kennyocracy — anyone that doesn’t fit the mode is labelled a right-wing racist extremist.”.Orman’s job requires more than overseeing livestreaming the count, said one UCP member who asked to remain anonymous..“As returning officer he needs to maintain the integrity of the whole process. He needs to see how the ballots are mailed out.”.“Is the list of members and the number consistent with the number of ballots mailed out? Is he checking those that are returned and those that do not come back?”.“Waiting until they come into Deloitte certainly works in favour of Kenney.”.A recent poll determined Kenney is the least likely leader to lead the UCP to victory over the NDP..The vote stretches from April 9-May 11..The results, requiring a 50% plus one to let Kenney staying on, will be announced May 18..Kenney’s failure to get a majority, would trigger a leadership contest..Editor’s note: The original story said ballots could be dropped off at CA offices. In fact, they have to be dropped off at CA polling stations..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
