Fight HST leader Bill Vander Zalm says he has concerns about the openness of the first stage of the counting process for the harmonized sales tax referendum, but Elections BC says the former B.C. premier has nothing to worry about.
Vander Zalm says the ballots for the mail-in referendum are being stored at a secret location, and ballot-counting observers, including himself, are only permitted to be present at the second stage of the counting process.
Vander Zalm has written to the Liberal government calling for action to ensure a completely open vote-counting process.
Elections BC spokesman Don Main says the ballots at the first secret location are being sorted by riding and not counted.
He says referendum observers are gaining the same access to the ballot-counting process as they would on the night of a provincial election.
Finance Minister Kevin Falcon says Elections BC is an independent agency that has proved itself beyond reproach when it comes to running elections and referendums and he's not about to consider meeting Vander Zalm's demands.
