Conservative Party faces significant financial loss after convention voting devices go missing

Conservative convention organizers are urging delegates who may have walked off with pricey voting devices to return them to the party so it can avoid incurring significant unexpected costs.

In an email to delegates last week that was subsequently shared with CBC News, Wayne Benson, the party's former executive director, said "several" keypads and smart cards that were distributed for votes on policy changes have not been accounted for in the days since the convention in Calgary wrapped up.

"We are seeking your assistance with locating several LUMI Connector Keypads (valued at close to $1,000.00 each) and more than 220 Smart Cards used at the Saturday Plenary Sessions," the email from Benson reads.

Those keypads, which look like an old Blackberry, were used to register yes or no votes on proposed changes to the party's policy playbook, which were carried out live on the convention floor. The smart cards, which resemble a calling card, tracked the province and territory of each registered delegate.

There were roughly 2,700 of each on hand to record votes on dozens of proposed changes.

The devices were supplied by Lumi Global, an outside, U.K.-based firm, which stages these sort of votes at annual investor meetings and government assemblies, among other functions that require digital election technology.

If the missing devices are not returned to Lumi, the Conservatives are on the hook for replacement costs for those that disappeared on their watch, Benson said.

"These items were to be turned in by Delegates immediately following the event, not taken home as souvenirs. The Conservative Party of Canada is ultimately responsible for the return or cost recovery of these items. We did not budget for this significant loss," Benson said.

Benson said the party would make arrangements to collect these devices from anyone who "inadvertently or otherwise" left with the voting machines.

A spokesperson for the party did not respond to a request for comment.

These devices were not used for leader Pierre Poilievre's leadership review. The vote on whether Poilievre should stay on as leader or be replaced was conducted with paper ballots, like in a general election.

Poilievre easily sailed through that review with more than 87 per cent of party delegates voting to stick with him.

As for the policy changes, delegates overwhelmingly endorsed taking a harder line on crime and immigration, including pushing a future Conservative to enact a "stand your ground"-style law to allow someone to protect themselves with lethal force against an intruder in their home.

They also backed stricter immigration screening, doing away with diversity, equity and inclusion programs and defunding CBC/Radio-Canada, among other changes.