Whereas resolutions supporting legislative changes to allow for online voting in local government elections were endorsed at the 2011 and 2015 UBCM Conventions; And whereas the Provinces response in 2015 indicated that it is open to exploring the topic further with UBCM and specific local governments who are interested in implementing internet voting: Therefore be it resolved that the Province be lobbied to initiate legislative changes that would allow local governments to implement online voting for upcoming elections and assent voting opportunities.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing An expert panel convened by Elections BC at the request of the then Attorney General reported out in 2014 that the inherent risks of internet voting were too high to consider implementing universal internet voting in either provincial or local government elections at that time. Security at the voters device, reduced transparency and auditability compared to traditional voting methods, and cost were seen by the panel to be the most significant risks. Its conclusion was that significant further work would first be required to identify ways if available to mitigate the risks associated with online voting. The Ministry is always open to continued discussions about challenges and occasions to expand voting opportunities, however many of the underlying concerns identified by the expert panel continue to persist when discussing online voting.