Whereas the Local Government Act does not support online voting for local government elections; And whereas local government elections historically have low turnouts, and being that online voting provides a broader audience the ability to vote: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia to initiative legislative changes to allow online voting for local government elections.
Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs The last provincial in-depth study into voting by internet, conducted by the Independent Panel on Internet Voting, produced a report that did not recommend use of internet voting until challenges such as issues of security and trust in the electoral process have been resolved. Since that report, data and research have not shown that online voting results in increased voter turnout, nor have cost-effective solutions been found to implement an online voting product that fully addresses concerns about security, privacy, anonymity, and elections integrity. The Province recognizes the potential benefits of online voting, but based on the work the Province is currently aware of, those benefits must be proven and balanced with the integrity of the electoral process. Given the complexity of local elections, with over 3,000 candidates running for office in over 250 jurisdictions, there are significant challenges for both local governments and electors associated with a move to online voting. It is our understanding that there are no plans to move toward online voting at the provincial level in the near future. Were the Province to reconsider the matter later, it would be crucial to first ensure that all security, privacy, anonymity, and elections integrity risks are adequately addressed and also consider if there are more effective ways to improve the voter experience and increase turnout. The ministry is monitoring work undertaken in other jurisdictions regarding online voting and will continue observing to see if online voting can be implemented in a way that increases accessibility and ensures the security of the electoral process.