Secure Online Voting & Democratic Participation Act
Category: Governance — Governance
Summary
Enable secure, verified online voting for provincial elections and referendums to increase voter turnout and accessibility.
What this proposal changes
- Authorises Elections BC to develop and deploy end-to-end verifiable online voting for provincial elections and referendums.
- Requires independent cybersecurity audits before each electoral event and publication of the full audit report.
- Introduces identity verification through BC Services Card integration, maintaining ballot secrecy through cryptographic separation.
- Mandates paper audit trails for all electronically cast votes to enable recounts.
Arguments for
- Remote and online voting consistently increases turnout among young voters, rural residents, and people with disabilities.
- Reduces long wait times and geographic barriers for voters in remote northern and coastal communities.
- End-to-end verifiable voting systems allow any voter to confirm their vote was recorded correctly without revealing their choice.
Arguments against
- No large-scale internet voting system has been universally accepted as immune to sophisticated state-level cyberattacks.
- Coercion and vote-buying risks increase when voting can occur outside a controlled polling-station environment.
- Public trust in election integrity may erode if systems are perceived as vulnerable, even without actual compromise.
Cost & implementation
System development and security infrastructure: $50–100 million. Per-election operating costs: $10–20 million. Comparable to or lower than equivalent in-person polling costs.
Jurisdiction & legal authority
Fully provincial jurisdiction under the Election Act. BC Services Card integration is a provincial program. No federal involvement required for provincial elections.
How to vote
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