Registered Liberals say online leadership voting system is rife with problems

The Liberal Party and Canada Post insist the federal party's leadership vote is a model of efficiency, but multiple people trying to cast their ballots say the process has been a nightmare to navigate.

Discontented party members have reached out to CBC News and taken to social media to voice complaints about the online system for registering voters and confirming their identity. 

"It was an awful process," said Toronto's David Ferry. "When you do get one of those rare opportunities to make a difference by actually voting, and participating in the democratic process, it's very frustrating when you can't do it." 

Registered Liberals must get an electronic voter ID, then verify that ID online and confirm their identity using the Canada Post Identity+ app or in person at a participating post office. Once that is done, members can then cast their online vote. 

But people attempting to follow that process are reporting problems, particularly with the mobile app and in-person option to verify their identity.

Ferry said that while he was able to download the app and cast his vote, his wife, Kyra Harper, has been unable to do so.

He said they couldn't verify Harper's identity using the app. Ferry said staff at their local post office were unable to help, and after sending multiple emails to the party and spending hours on the phone with Canada Post, Harper is still frozen out of the process, he said.

"My wife is very frustrated that she can't vote," Ferry said. 

A spokesperson for the Liberal Party told CBC News that they could not comment on individual cases, but "this is actually the system working. If you're not able to verify, there's a reason you are not able to verify.

"We want to make sure that we are putting on a process that is secure and fair," the spokesperson said. 

The party says there are no widespread problems with the system, and it is addressing complaints. But the party said it takes time to ensure that each complainant's identity is properly verified before they cast their ballot. 

"The Liberal Party has created the most secure and accessible voting process in Canadian history for the 2025 leadership race," the Liberal Party said in a statement.

The spokesperson said that since voting started on Wednesday, more than 55,000 ballots have been cast out of the 79,000 Liberals who have been verified by the system. 

Canada Post defended its identity verification app and in-person services, insisting the corporation "has a well-established suite of verification and authentication capabilities."