Thanks to a pilot by Elections Quebec, but with some challenges, Quebec voters could vote online in the 2025 local elections.
The organization has been working for several years on the possibility of offering this new option to voters. After analyzing cases in several countries, but also closer to home, in Ontario and Nova Scotia, this internet voting project was considered.
“All the parameters of this pilot project have yet to be targeted, there are several steps to go through before internet voting is rolled out,” said Julie St-Arnaud Drolet, spokeswoman for Élections Québec, in an interview with agency QMI.
The COVID-19 pandemic also had an impact on this decision; in the last local elections in November 2021, several elected representatives submitted the idea of voting online.
If the municipal elections are not conducted by Élections Québec but by the cities, the organization proposes to ensure centralized administration, which could be repeated in future provincial elections.
“For us, the interest is in allowing more and more access to vote, and that could be beneficial for certain groups of voters,” explained the spokesman, thinking in particular of voters outside Quebec, people with reduced mobility, but also those who who mention a lack of time.
Not like a simple bank transaction
Voting on the internet is not without complications, between respect for the voter’s anonymity and the risk of computer hacking.
There are three main elements to consider for computer security: the type of voting, the device used by the voter, and the network. However, they cannot all be controlled by Elections Quebec.
“For the rollout of internet voting, the risks need to be understood and accepted by both the political class and voters,” argued Ms St-Arnaud Drolet.
Don’t think that voting is as easy to do as a transfer between accounts, the spokesman said.
“One of the challenges relates to ballot secrecy, which requires separating the vote from the voter’s identity once the vote has been recorded. On the other hand, it is also necessary to be able to carry out controls to ensure the integrity of the process, which would be based on the traceability of the reconciliation,” she said. “There are solutions, but they have to be well thought out.”