Dear Editor,
In last week’s issue of The Review, two writers expressed dissatisfaction with online voting. If one Googles “The pros and cons of online voting”, the cons outnumber the pros by a substantial measure. Ottawa and Toronto, to mention two, side with the cons.
But set that aside. Champlain Township Council enthusiastically embraces online voting. Council believes voter turn-out will improve. Council believes online voting is more accessible and allows for a greater degree of anonymity. Online is also supposed to be cheaper and with greater overall quality.
Brave and bold statements to be sure – but prove it. Where is the data that confirms any of this? And how do you prove it given there are no provincial standards which protect the auditing and verification of results. There is no way to recount ballots. And what about those who do not have access to, or an understanding of, online systems? The list goes on.
Voting is vital to the maintenance of democracy. It falls up to council to prove online is superior to paper ballots and in-person voting.
Sincerely,
ian hepburn
Vankleek Hill
