Although there weren’t any hanging chads, just about everything else went wrong with the new electronic voting system used in Montreal’s municipal elections on Nov. 6.

The contest saw incumbent mayor Gérald Tremblay ride to an easy victory, with 56% of the vote and a strong majority on city council. His main opponent, former mayor Pierre Bourque, accepted his defeat even though he was fuming over the trouble-plagued vote.

First, Bourque asked for a city-wide recount, which was rejected by the province’s municipal affairs minister. Then he threatened to seek a court order to restage the entire election. Finally, he demanded that the province’s chief electoral officer hold a public inquiry to find out what exactly went wrong.

“It was the greatest electoral fiasco in the history of our province,” Bourque says.

The voting system — operated by Quebec City-based PG Elections Inc. at a cost of $2.9 million — was hit with numerous glitches that saw some electronic voting machines break down, a data transmission line become jammed and technicians make data-entry errors.

Results weren’t posted until hours after the polls closed, much to the frustration of the media and the political parties.

The next day, the true extent of the debacle became apparent. The city admitted that 45,000 votes had been counted twice and it was forced to reissue results. Two days later, it changed results again in three districts. In the end, judicial recounts were called in 15 districts — an unusually high number.

The voting problems overshadowed what was a satisfying victory for the 63-year-old Tremblay, an earnest former industry minister in the Liberal government of the late Robert Bourassa.

Rescued institutions

Tremblay’s popularity as mayor stemmed from his success in rescuing three local institutions that were under threat of being moved from Montreal — the Shriners Children’s Hospital, the Grand Prix of Canada Formula One race and the FINA World Aquatic Championships.

Tremblay’s election victory was all the more impressive because he did it without the large base of support he saw in his first victory over Bourque four years ago.

Back then, he tapped into anger against the former Parti Québécois government and its decision to force the mergers of 30 formerly independent suburban cities into one mega-Montreal, an initiative that Bourque supported.

After the Liberal Party of Jean Charest came to power in Quebec City, the former suburbs were allowed to vote to “demerge” (a word invented for the occasion). Fifteen suburbs eventually voted to leave Montreal, taking 200,000 people out of the city and reducing its population to 1.6 million.

Although Tremblay may have made his name by saving high-profile institutions, his platform was definitely modest this time around. He promised to spend $500 million over four years to repair the city’s horrendous potholes — many of which would be better described as craters. He also promised to create more bike paths, increase public transit and hold the line on tax rates.

Bourque, a horticultural engineer who used to run the city’s botanical gardens, was looking like yesterday’s man after losing two elections in a row to Tremblay. The city’s gardener couldn’t cultivate enough support even with his renowned populist campaigning style that had him chipping golf balls into potholes at one point during the campaign.

This year’s election did introduce Montrealers to a new face in the contest for mayor — Richard Bergeron, an urban studies professor with some big ideas for slowing the urban sprawl that’s eating up land on the Island of Montreal. He wants to introduce tolls on bridges coming into Montreal, streetcars on main arteries and more affordable housing near the city’s core, among other green initiatives.

He ran a shoestring campaign but managed to capture a respectable 8.5% of the vote and a seat on city council.

By the time the next election rolls around, perhaps Bergeron will be in a position to make a serious run for mayor — if the kinks are out of the voting system by then. IE