Updated: Fri Jun. 26 2009 21:14:44

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Allowing Canadians to vote electronically may be the remedy for the ever-dwindling percentage of voters who bother to exercise their democratic rights, Elections Canada suggests.

In a report released late Friday, the independent electoral watchdog says it will push this fall for legislative changes that would allow it to implement online registration of voters.

And it wants parliamentary approval to conduct an electronic voting test-run in a byelection by 2013.

The report notes that only 58.8 per cent of registered voters actually cast ballots during last October's federal election -- the worst-ever voter turnout in Canadian history.

"It would appear that voting competes with other daily priorities for a substantial number of electors," says the report, summarizing the results of surveys, focus groups and other evaluations commissioned by Elections Canada in the wake of the Oct. 14 vote.

"In that sense, Elections Canada's efforts to make registration and voting more accessible and convenient for electors (e.g., through initiatives such as e-registration and an eventual e-voting pilot) appear to be well positioned.

"By working at`bringing the ballot to the elector,' we may contribute to mitigating some of the reasons for lower turnout."

A survey conducted for the agency found that 57 per cent of those who didn't vote in the last election blamed "everyday situations" -- such as being on holiday, being too busy, family obligations or work schedules -- for their failure to cast ballots.

Thirty-six per cent cited negative attitudes toward politics or political parties, including 14 per cent who said they were too apathetic and eight per cent who said they were too cynical to bother voting.

The survey also found considerable public interest in making it easier to vote. Fifty-eight per cent of electors said they'd be likely to use the Internet to register and 54 per cent said they'd be likely to use it to vote.

Among those who didn't vote in the last election, the survey found 55 per cent said they'd be likely to use the Internet to vote if the service was available.

Sixty-four per cent of non-voting young people and 41 per cent of non-voting aboriginal electors -- two of the groups with the lowest voter turnout -- said the same.

The report suggests electronic voting may also benefit Canadian Forces members and other Canadians living temporarily outside the country. If they want to vote, their only option at the moment is to obtain a special mail-in ballot.

However, the report says many out-of-country voters have missed the deadline because of the relatively complicated special ballot procedure, combined with the short election time frame and limitations of the postal service.

Last October, 3,675 special ballots were received two weeks after election day, too late to be counted.

"This is an area where we believe electors would benefit from online services."

While voters seem to like the idea, candidates are not quite so keen.

A survey of candidates in the last election found 75 per cent believe voters should be able to register online. But when it comes to actually casting ballots via the Internet, 48 per cent of candidates were opposed and 46 per cent were in favour.

"The survey indicates that most Canadians are interested in online registration and voting," the report concludes.

"In view of the number of Canadians who are interested in accessing electoral services online, our efforts to put e-registration in place and to test e-voting are well aligned to their needs."

Comments are now closed for this story

Retired in Burlington
I think everyone who is on the voters list and fails to vote should pay a $1000.00 fine.I do not trust the online vote as far as security and making sure there is only one vote per eligible voter it is just too risky.Fine the non voters and see what the voter turnout is after the election.Shame on people who do not vote.

mcgil
I was a poll supervisor last October. I do not believe that e-voting would change many things. What caused a "low turn-out" was the "identification with photo and/or 2 pieces of proof of address". Too many electors lost their right to vote on account of the aforementioned condition. Photo-identification was the worst thing! It is unfortunate that there are no stats on how many electors lost their vote because of this.

Gene
I'm registered for unemployment via my SIN number. I file my report establishing who I am via the SIN number. Online voting can be done.

Joe
No way. The internet is not ready for it. Too insecure. Plus remember the gun registry which was supposed to be a two million dollar simple database which cost the government over two billion dollars. If they can't get that right, which obviously they can't, they won't be able to get this right either.

Kevin
Anyone who understands computer technology understands the HUGE risks with online voting. Untraceable ballots. No audit trail for recounts or verification. Ten minutes of study and a look at the RISKS forum (online discussion of computer risks) will show just how fraught with danger this is.

And don't think this is a problem of Canadians being fraudulent. More, think of North Korea hack attacks that are set up to influence the election. Heck, we can't even beat spam and Phishing attacks, and those are just about money. What kind of protection will we have against an all-out (silent) cyber attack that is designed to sway an election.

Mark from a Small Town
Online voting can and will be abused.

The reason people don't vote is because they lost faith in the system. You have powerful lobby groups that sway the politicians way more than the electorate ever could.

Politicians changing sides, parachuting into a riding just to win. The system is seriously flawed and needs a fix. On-line voting just won't fix it.

concerned in the west
I agree with the people who say voting online would be a security nightmare. It would be impossible to ensure the results were accurate.

And I agree with Matt. Online would leave the process itself ripe for abuse. Daddy COULD get his whole family to cast their votes IN FRONT OF HIM and MAKE them vote the way he (or mom or whomever) wants.

This is a poorly thought out idea and it's amazing that so-called professionals could come up with a recommendation like this. These people obviously have no concept of computer security and the hackability of such a plan.

This is a bad idea from the get-go.

TERRIBLE idea
This is a recipe for disaster. Experience in the US has shown that machines that are used for vote counting have been successfully hacked causing huge problems with voting accuracy. And a one-time event such a vote occurring over a 16 hr period is much more hackable-vulnerable as opposed to entering your income tax online over a period of months. Anyone in security will tell you there IS NO SUCH THING as an unhackable program (especially at source where the votes are being counted and a hardware hack can be done on the system). Voting is too precious to risk it being tampered with at so many different places. This is a horrible idea. Horrible. If they are really interested in increasing the number of voters, maybe they ought to look at the way politics is done. It's politicians, parties and concerns about our government that should get us to the polls. Apathy is a sad and dangerous thing, but online voting is too vulnerable and not worth the risk.

Barb - long time voter
Bad idea, way too anonymous, who is actually voting, too easy to manipulate, could be too easy to hack.
If you have ever voted you know you have to provide proof of identity and be crossed off a voter's list, these are 'fail-safes'. How would you ever do this on line.

Some municipalities successfully use the 'double envelope' system for municipal elections, this could work for off shore voters

I don't believe you can make people vote, in fact I would prefer fewer informed voters rather than a herd of sheep who haven't a clue what they are voting for.

kris
Maybe if we had some inspiring leadership in the running it might cause people to care enough to get out and vote.

I think that many people feel apathetic due to the less sorry state of our government.

altabiz Calgary
Good idea however, online voting could be abused.

Any senior family member could march his wife and adult children to the computer and force them all to vote Conservative and watch them do it. Nobody at Elections Canada (because they are not there) could do anything to stop it. Currently the voter has total independence to vote their conscience with no one looking over their shoulders and they know the ballot gets in the box.

John in Kitchener
I think there are possibilities.
If it increases citizen participation in the process - GOOD!
As far as security is concerned:
I have for years been a shareholder in a major Canadian Corporation.
This corporation has for years now permitted shareholders who were not present in person at the Annual Meetings, to vote on-line for or against certain proposals and for or against persons nominated as Directors.
Obviously, a secure system was used here. No reason the government can not use an equally secure (or more secure) system.
(BTW - the procedure is not as simple as just sending an email, as some posters would suggest).

Sean Henderson
Electronic voting is not the answer!! The remedy lies in better political parties, and people accepting there are more than TWO parties in Canada (Liberals and Conservatives). What is needed is for people to feel that their vote counts and that voting for the NDP, Green Party, or other political party is OK !!
My answer, proportional representation. It works in New Brunswick! Even with partial proportional representation, like in Japan, all votes count!!
Think about it Harper because the Senate won't save you in the next election.

DCR-Toronto
Do we really want the mess that the US has had? I am completely against this. We have a VERY accurate system in Canada. Let's not venture into a system where failures happen daily (the internet). All we need is to have controversy at this time of unstable governments. This will only feed the fire.

Jeff C from Kingston
I started off by replying to individual comments. But then I remembered that arguing with people over the internet is stupid and fruitless anyway.

E-Voting. This is how I see the architecture of such a thing taking place. First off: no, nothing is completely impervious on the net. However, it is possible to create a system that can at least, hopefully, delay malicious attacks and exploits long enough that it won't matter.

1. Voter verification. Register to vote as per usual. They send you a ten-digit code using lower and uppercase, numerals, and at least one symbol. This is your verification code to vote online. On top of that, you verify with your SIN, date of birth, and whatever other information there is that can double-check that you are who you say you are.

2. Security. Datacenters physically secured. All data encrypted for storage and transmission. SSL from user to center, from center to processing via TACLANE using Firefly Vector Keymat. Open voting for certain hours, then shut down the connection to the outside, making it a standalone system when not in use.

3. Self-verify. Log all IPs, check against user location to ensure it's in the proper range. Log all IPs connecting and keep a log of all agent activity within the system. Have software verified by a third party.

The list goes on. What I'm saying, in the end, is that e-voting must be implemented properly, overcautiously, overzealously guarded and protected. If it is not, it will fail; and it will be a long time before it is seen as a viable means.

Bringing in e-voting could drastically change the face of democracy in the western world. There are associated dangers and concerns, as per Matt's comment. But with voter turnout so low, the risks involved with e-voting must be fully weighed.

Tim from Calgary
Laziness! This is the one and only real reason why people don't vote. It has nothing to do with people being upset with all of the parties. It's just pure and simple laziness.

JoeC from St. Thomas, ON
The only way to get every eligible Canadian to vote is to have Elections Canada pay each individual voter in cash, once their ballot is in the ballot box.

Not going to happen.

As for me, I have voted in many elections at a polling station, and I will continue to vote at a polling station.

It is not an inconvenience, but is a tribute to the many men who gave their lives fighting for what freedom we still have left in Canada.

Thomas, Ottawa
No, no, no ... NO!!!

It's not enough that the result IS accurate, it must be PROVABLY accurate to scrutineers while remaining secret. There is a chain of trust in ballots that requires them to be physically accountable at every step of the process by scrutineers. There is no way to maintain that trust in any electronic system, doubly so in something connected to the Internet.

Vince Winnipeg
Thats ridiculious

Ben
Good idea. Jist please don't
outsource the developers for this project. Use the local professionals.

BC Chad
I think this is a great idea. I share conserns about it, but the idea to test it in a byelection is great to.

We submit our most sensitive data over the internet (taxes, i mean how many people actually paper file anymore) and our banking info. We put credit card numbers online for purchases. Sure it will take a lot to get the system secure but at least they will work on it.

Scott Stelmaschuk
This is a horrible idea...Not only have American elections proven that electronic voting can cause problems, the risk of potential complications is too high.

If Elections Canada wants to increase voter turn out, they would remove us from the First-Past-the-Post system and move us towards a proportional representation system that will allow all votes to be count fairly.

A preferential ballot, also known as the 1 - 4 ballot, would allow electors to select candidates in order of preference, with the votes being redistributed amongst choices until one candidate holds 50% of the votes.

Most Canadians don't vote for two reasons: disillusionment with the system, which can only be fixed by electing better representatives who will make us want to vote (as opposed to partisan hacks we have now).

And the other is to remove this kind of 'inevitability' that most Canadians feel, that a candidate is going to win due to vote splitting and high incumbency rates. A proportional system is the only way to fix this problem.

Until both problems are addressed, simply adding a new way to vote is not going to change a thing.

Canadian
I think we should get paid to vote. It would be an incentive to vote. I also think that there should be a penalty also. If it were safe to having a voting system as such, I also think that a whole new population can be reached. Its also more time saving and efficient.

Jojo
No Way! Then we stand a chance of being as crooked as the USA.

I VOTE NO !!!!!

There is nothing wrong with our present system! If it ain't broke, don;t fix it.

I am very much against this and I only hope someone is reading our comments.

There are so many needy places to spend our money. Get off it!!!

Raymond
BAD idea.

Jonathan from Saskatoon.
That's just a recipe for vote rigging. No election result decided by e-ballots could ever be trusted.

Louis Johnson, Alberta
Security is the major concern. However banks have allowed internet access for some time, apparently without breach of security. This suggests that secure procedures for internet voting are possible. I'm sure that Elections Canada would maintain the highest possible security.

I support this concept.

Les in Ontario
I agree with Tono. If foreign government hackers are breaking into CIA computers on a regular basis, what makes us think Elections Canada will be secure?

There are plenty of countries that would be lining up to covertly influence the results.

Matt
Online voting could be abused. A patriarchal father could march his wife and adult children to the computer and order them all to vote Liberal and watch them do it, and nobody at Elections Canada (because they are not there) could do anything to stop it. With voting now at neutral, controlled locations, the voter has total independence to vote their conscience with no one looking over their shoulders and they know the ballot gets in the box. This is the main reason why online voting can never be allowed.

jag
ummmm ya right. Great idea, but good luck making a system online that is not hackable!

Graeme
This is just a bad idea. While the internet is relatively safe, it also has some inherent dangers. Most can be dealt with, but elections are so sacred to a democracy that it's not worth the (admittedly small) risk.

On top of that, not having a paper trail to fall back on really is putting all your eggs in one basket.

The internet's a great thing, and for the most part pretty safe, but there's just too many things that can go wrong (program bugs, hacking, signal interception, system crashes, DOS attacks, etc.): you can minimize the risks, but not eliminate them.

Dave in Winnipeg
I think it is a great idea and maybe the candidates can have their platform right there too so that voters can make informed choices. Too many people have no idea who or what they are voting for.. maybe I will then run.. lol

KMC (Markham, ON)
The problems with on-line voting are, first of all to ensure that those voting are actually eligible to vote (i.e. Canadian citizens of voting age).

Second, as occurred during the U.S. election, with voting machines, there are means,by which hackers may be able to hack into the system and change the election outcome.

In some U.S. constituencies, the outcome was totally contrary to straw polls and exit polls which leads to the impression that someone tampered with the vote tally.

Any such anomalies, in a Canadian election, would lead voters, and the "losing" Party, to the same conclusion...a "fixed" election.

I don't think it's too much to ask for Canadians to show up at the polling station with proof of age and citizenship in oredr to elect a Government of their choosing.

I'm not sure I would have confidence in the outcome of an election when the voters vote remotely, on-line.

Too many opportunities for election fraud.

Doug
This system will be ridden with fraud. Most canadians don't vote because they are turned off by the political parties and partisan hackery. If you can't even take 30 minutes out of your day that says something. I'm leaning towards not voting next election because the party I voted for has betrayed its principles and the other four I can't be bothered with either. What does my vote matter when not one member of parliament stood up to oppose the auto bailout. This isn't a democracy it is an oligarchy in the guise of democracy. All our MPs go and have beers together after pretending to disagree. The whole system needs a repair not just on-line voting what a joke.

George in Calgary
If we can vote electronically that would be great afterall we can submit or tax form electronically. Maybe MP's could vote electronically on legislation which would mean they would not have to have staff or heavy travel committments. In fact maybe once ever six months we the people could electronically vote on legislation or at the very least the MP's could poll their constituents regularly on important matters and converse with them.

terri
I am with you Tono, make it illegal to not vote.I am just not sure if the same people would not find a way to vote over and over again.I mean I am pretty sure they use different names to blog all the time.I would feel like it would be fixed somehow.

Dunny from Manotick
As long as they make tampering with the vote punishable by a minimum 25 years in jail with no chance of parole, period. I'm OK with it.

Bill Moyer Trenton
Let me be first in line for online voting. If I can do my taxes online, why not vote?

Tono
NO - WAY!

That is FAR too risky to use the Internet for something as serious as voting. You don't know for sure where your email is going, who is reading it on the way, what foreign power could possibly influence the voting process to its advantage.

It is simply too dangerous. If we want to get more people to vote, then we can make it illegal to not vote.