The City of Montreal wants to participate in a pilot project that would allow certain voters to vote online in the next municipal election, in 2025.
The municipal council voted Tuesday to indicate its interest to the Director General of Elections of Quebec.
“We hope that it will certainly be a positive experience, which will make us try things,” said the elected representative of the Plante administration responsible for the file, Robert Beaudry. He emphasized that the City of Montreal wanted its unique issues to be addressed as part of this pilot project. “We raise our hands, but we remain cautious about it,” added Mr. Beaudry, stressing that the integrity of the vote was a non-negotiable priority.
According to the documentation written by municipal officials, the pilot project would be restricted to a limited area of the city of Montreal in 2025.
“The target for the proportion of people eligible for online voting is approximately 10% of the City’s total electorate,” indicates the municipal council documentation. “All people registered on the electoral list within the defined sector will thus be able to request to vote online. These people will have to identify themselves using the Government Authentication Service. »
In addition to Mr. Beaudry, other municipal officials also expressed their reservations. “For Montreal to be in there for the first pilot project, I think it’s risky,” said independent municipal councilor Craig Sauvé, referring to the significant reliability problems of certain elections held via the Internet. “Maybe we should wait until it proves itself in smaller municipalities before we raise our hands. That would be wise, I think. »