Touchscreen voting could be used in 2017 Edmonton election
In 2017, residents of Edmonton will be asked to cast their vote for a new city council, and if the city’s director of elections has her way, it could be a whole lot more high-tech than a simple paper ballot.
Laura Kennedy is investigating the feasibility of instituting a new way for people to vote. It would use a touchscreen that has the names of all the candidates running for a particular position. The voter would review them, make their selection right on the screen, and a ballot would be printed that had the name of their choice on it. They would then review to make sure its correct and place it into the ballot box. Direct mail printing can be used to let the public know when such changes are made to how they perform their civic duties.
According to Kennedy, this is a form of electronic voting that provides an alternative to doing so online, as is already used in some Ontario municipalities. The concept of using a similar system in Edmonton has been proposed in the past, but the council had concerns because of security and that it would require a change in legislation to allow it. Kennedy noted that the touchscreen method is secure, as it uses technology that is similar to that already in use for some elections in the United States.
Laura Kennedy is investigating the feasibility of instituting a new way for people to vote. It would use a touchscreen that has the names of all the candidates running for a particular position. The voter would review them, make their selection right on the screen, and a ballot would be printed that had the name of their choice on it. They would then review to make sure its correct and place it into the ballot box. Direct mail printing can be used to let the public know when such changes are made to how they perform their civic duties.
According to Kennedy, this is a form of electronic voting that provides an alternative to doing so online, as is already used in some Ontario municipalities. The concept of using a similar system in Edmonton has been proposed in the past, but the council had concerns because of security and that it would require a change in legislation to allow it. Kennedy noted that the touchscreen method is secure, as it uses technology that is similar to that already in use for some elections in the United States.