Online Local Government Voting

WHEREAS Coquitlam in 2008 experienced a below average voter turnout of 21.5 - the provincial average is 35; AND WHEREAS there is a need to engage a greater number of voters to maintain a healthy democracy; AND WHEREAS our citizens are using the internet for banking, purchases, selling, networking and information; AND WHEREAS our citizens are busy, many too busy to vote in the traditional manner; AND WHEREAS 57 of non-voters cited time pressures that prevented them from getting out to vote; AND WHEREAS many local governments in other provinces, and more largely the Province of Ontario 44 municipalities, have been using online voting in their elections for some time; AND WHEREAS the BC Liberal Party allowed online and telephone voting in their election to choose a new Premier; AND WHEREAS both the Cities of Vancouver and Surrey have spoken out in support of online voting: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government look into the possibility of online voting with the intention of utilizing it for the 2014 local government elections.