How do you prefer to vote?
Please note that this engagement pertains specifically to the 2026 Municipal Election and is not associated with the upcoming Provincial or Federal elections.
The City of Niagara Falls is engaging with the public to learn resident preferences on voting methods. This information will assist the Niagara Falls City Council in choosing the format and technology to use in the upcoming 2026 Municipal and School Board Elections.
Three items should be considered when considering voting methods:
- Secrecy and Confidentiality: Ensuring the secrecy and confidentiality of the vote is paramount for maintaining the security of the electoral process.
- Integrity and Verifiability: It is essential that the integrity of the voting process is upheld and that the final results accurately reflect the votes cast by the electorate.
- Accessibility: The voting process should be accessible to all eligible candidates and voters, minimizing barriers to participation.
Several voting methods are utilized in municipal elections across Ontario. Understanding these methods is essential for promoting transparency, optimizing efficiency, and ensuring informed decision-making in the electoral process.
Voting Methods
The following methods, in no particular order, are being evaluated as potential voting options in the 2026 Municipal and School Board Election:
What is In-person Voting?
- Traditional in-person voting is the oldest and most familiar ballot-casting method.
- This method requires voters to visit a polling station during advanced voting periods or on election day.
- At the polling station, voters physically complete a paper ballot, which is then processed through a vote tabulator on-site and immediately placed into a sealed ballot box.
Advantages
- Familiarity: As the longest-standing method, in-person voting requires fewer campaigns and advertisements to educate voters about it.
- Voter Assistance: Election officials are present to provide immediate assistance and guidance to voters, ensure that ballots are correctly completed and submitted, and make any additions or corrections to the Voters’ List.
- Confidence: Many voters still prefer in-person voting due to its observable and transparent process, which fosters trust in the outcome.
- Identity Verification: Polling station staff can directly verify voters' identities and uphold the integrity of their ballots.
- Engagement: Voting in person promotes civic engagement and community participation, allowing voters to witness the electoral process.
Disadvantages
- Accessibility: Despite ongoing efforts to improve accessibility, in-person voting can still present physical barriers for some voters or to those unable to visit polling stations due to illness or mobility issues.
- Long Wait Times: Long lines can deter voters during peak voting hours, such as after business hours.
- Limited Voting Hours: In-person voting is confined to specific hours on advanced poll days and election day, which may not accommodate all voters. Inclement weather or external events can further disrupt turnout.
- Cost: In-person voting requires significant expenses for purchasing ballots, polling station supplies and staffing.
- Polling Station Employees: Finding qualified and willing individuals to staff polling stations is increasingly difficult.
What is Vote by Mail?
- Vote by Mail enables voters to participate from any location with postal service availability.
- Paper ballots are mailed to voters, who then complete them and return them to the municipality.
- A municipal election can adopt an all-posting voting approach, eliminating in-person voting opportunities.
Advantages
- Increased Voting Opportunities: Individuals with illnesses or those travelling can participate in elections without the need to be physically present at a polling station, expanding voting opportunities for those who might otherwise be unable to vote.
- Enhanced Voter Experience: Eliminating the need for travel and wait times improves the overall voting experience for electors.
- Greater Accessibility and Equality: Vote by Mail enhances secrecy and autonomy for electors with disabilities, allowing them to vote unassisted and anonymously.
- Attraction of Voters: The convenience of voting by mail may attract more voters, potentially increasing overall turnout by making it easier for people to participate in the process.
- Cost Savings: Eliminating the need for numerous staffed polling stations can significantly reduce supply and labour costs.
Disadvantages
- Fraud or Coercion: Voting in an uncontrolled environment can lead to outside influences impacting the vote or ballot tampering. While voters take an oath verifying their identity, ensuring the voters identity remotely is challenging.
- Dependence on Postal Service: The effectiveness of voting by mail relies on the postal service, which may face disruptions or inefficiencies. Delays in voters receiving their ballots or municipalities receiving completed ballots can occur.
- Reliability and Security: Ballots may be damaged or lost in transit. Instructions might not be followed, leading to incorrectly submitted ballots without the required paperwork.
- Engagement: Voting traditionally serves as a social activity. Voting by mail can diminish this, as it encourages individuals to vote independently rather than as part of the communal event. This could lead to a less engaged voter experience.
What is Online Voting?
- Online Voting enables electors to cast their ballots from their homes or anywhere in the world during the designated voting period.
- This digital option eliminates manual paper ballots, leading to faster tabulation of election results.
- Online voting presents a modern, efficient, and accessible way for electors to participate.
Advantages
- Attraction of Younger Voters: The convenience of online voting may appeal to all generations, including younger voters.
- Greater Accessibility: Online voting enhances secrecy and autonomy for electors with disabilities, allowing many individuals to vote unassisted.
- Increased Voting Opportunities: Individuals with illnesses or those travelling can participate in elections without the need to be physically present at a polling station, expanding voting opportunities.
- Cost Savings: Eliminating ballot printing and polling station supplies reduces material and supply costs. Eliminating external polling station staff also reduces labour costs.
- Instant Vote Tabulation: Immediate counting of votes, providing faster results.
- Enhanced Voter Experience: Eliminating travel and wait times improves the voting experience.
- Environmental Benefits: Reducing paper usage makes online voting environmentally friendly.
Disadvantages
- Reliability and Security: Online voting systems are potentially vulnerable to technical failures and security breaches.
- Access: Not all voters have access to high-speed internet, particularly those in rural areas with limited connectivity.
- Education: A new voting method requires education & communication efforts about the new system, which can incur significant costs.
- Cost: Although online voting can be more cost-effective than manual voting methods, the initial implementation can be costly.
- Engagement: Online voting encourages individuals to vote independently rather than as part of a communal event, which could lead to fewer engaged voters.
- Fraud or Coercion: Voter notification cards, which contain unique passwords necessary for casting a vote, can be intercepted. Verifying the voter's identity remotely is challenging. Multi-factor authentication can reduce some risks; however, it cannot eliminate the possibility of fraudulent activities.
Thank you to those who participated!
Your feedback is always appreciated.
