Before Ontarians cast their ballots in this fall\u2019s municipal elections, they have the chance to provide feedback that could help shape elections into the future.<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s first national standard for online municipal voting is open for input from the public and stakeholders involved in municipal elections \u2014 and Brock University Associate Professor of Political Science Nicole Goodman is encouraging participation.<\/p>\n
Initially proposed<\/a> to the Digital Governance Standard Institute (DGSI) by Goodman and\u00a0 Aleksander Essex of Western University, Online Voting \u2013 Part 1: Implementation of Online Voting in Canadian Municipal Elections<\/a> was published as a National Standard of Canada in December 2024.<\/p>\n The document, which outlines technical design requirements for online voting services and best practices for the implementation of online voting in Canadian municipal elections, is accepting public comment<\/a> through the DGSI website until Tuesday, March 3.<\/p>\n Goodman says the voluntary standard sets the stage for municipal elections in the digital age, \u201cmarking an important step toward creating a cross-country regulatory framework for election technologies in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHaving input from the public and relevant stakeholders is important as they have practical knowledge about what works and what does not, as well as insights into new trends in the online voting space or municipal sector,\u201d she says. \u201cThis ensures the standard reflects technical innovations while also considering implementation challenges and compatibility issues. It can also help anticipate new risks or issues that need to be addressed by the standard to support local communities to deliver safer digital elections.\u201d<\/p>\n The number of Ontario municipalities using digital technologies has climbed steadily since 2003.<\/p>\n \u201cOntario’s elections are the most digitally enabled elections in Canada, with 222 municipalities having used online voting in 2022,\u201d Goodman says. \u201cI expect that we will see record levels of online voting use in the 2026 municipal elections this fall, making the standard especially important.\u201d<\/p>\n As elections continue to digitize, Goodman says maintaining electoral integrity through the regulation of digital technologies in elections is critical.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a time, Canada was the only country in the world to use election technologies without regulations, even though Canada has one of the highest rates of use,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ve also had several technical incidents occur as technologies are adopted, emphasizing the importance of putting standards in place.\u201d<\/p>\n