WHEREAS Local Government Act Part 3, Division 9 Voting Opportunities does not allow the ability to offer online voting to electors in local government elections; AND WHEREAS this additional service provision would assist the general population, especially the elderly, disabled, snowbirds, and those working in camp, to participate in the democratic process; AND WHEREAS the Province of BC has the recommendations from the Independent Panel on Internet Voting from the report produced in February, 2014: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of BC to initiate the policy analysis and legislative changes required to implement online voting for the 2018 local government election.
Ministry of Community, Sport Cultural Development While the Province recognizes the potential benefits of internet voting, those benefits must be balanced with the security of the electoral process. The Province may look into a province-wide coordinated approach to internet voting once the concerns regarding security, privacy and anonymity, raised by the Independent Panel on Internet Votings final report, have been alleviated. To address these concerns, the Province acknowledges that more work is needed before internet voting can be implemented safely in a way that provides appropriate safeguards to allow voter confidence. The Province is open to exploring the topic further with UBCM and specific local governments who are interested in implementing internet voting.