On Saturday 21 July, 2007 the Chair of the Electoral Matters Committee, (EMC) Adem Somyurek MLC, member Robin Scott, MP and Committee staff Mark Roberts and Nathaniel Reader, attended the computer count of the City of Boroondara Cotham Ward's municipal council by-election.

As readers would know, the Victorian Electoral Commission is responsible for the conduct of the Victorian state election, and also many council elections. The EMC is very interested to learn more about electronic technologies relating to elections and the counting of votes, with particular attention given to the transparency of any such electronic vote counting systems.

The Local Government Act 1989 provides for the counting of votes electronically, and the Local Government (Electoral) Regulations 2005 covers the requirements for electronic counting systems and the procedures to be followed for electronic counting. From 2008, local council elections will be held every four years on the last Saturday in November.

The Cotham ward by-election centred on the area from Kew to Balwyn and was conducted by postal vote following the resignation of the former elected councillor, with approximately 8500 ballot papers to be counted.

What made the computer count particularly interesting was that 16 candidates were competing for the one vacancy. To manually count the 8500 ballot papers, allocate preferences and select the successful candidate, would have taken many, many hours.

Entering the 8500 ballot papers electronically took 16 highly skilled data entry operators around fours hours to complete.

Allocating preferences manually amongst the 16 candidates would have been an incredibly time consuming task, however using 21st century technology, the VEC was able to allocate preferences within minutes, and shortly thereafter declare the winner.

Members and staff of the committee were very interested to observe the process and it could be expected that the Committee will report to the Parliament more fully on electronic counting systems when it tables it report in June 2008.

Members and staff of the Committee observing the electronic count

Cotham

Count Room

Mr Robin Scott MP and Ms Liz Williams, Deputy Electoral Commissioner, Victorian Electoral Commission

Mr Adem Somyurek MP, Mr Nathaniel Reader and
Ms Glenda Frazer, Victorian Electoral Commission