Brock Township to look at electronic voting method for the 2026 election

DAN CEARNS, The Standard

BROCK: The Township of Brock will consider using electronic voting in the next municipal election.

At a meeting on Monday, January 9th, councillors saw a post-2022 election report from Clerk Fernando Lamanna.

The report notes the Township of Brock has used the vote-by-mail system for municipal elections since 2006.

“How votes are cast continues to move to technology-based methods across Ontario. Close to half of [the] municipalities across Ontario are transitioning their Municipal Elections to electronic voting by Internet and Telephone. The benefits of this method include emergency preparedness, efficiency, accessibility, accuracy, automatic tabulation, and convenience to the electors. Consideration of electronic voting for Municipal Elections 2026 is recommended,” the report added.

Ward 2 Councillor Claire Doble fully supported exploring the use of electronic voting. “I definitely think it’s time we take a look at electronic voting. It definitely seems to be the way most municipalities are going,” she stated.

Mayor Walter Schummer agreed the Township is overdue for a conversation on this method, “given the development of technology over the last decade.”

However, Mr. Lamanna tempered council’s expectations on the potential effect electronic voting could have. “There certainly is a huge convenience factor. [It’s] extremely accessible. I just want to temper council’s expectations that it will not increase voter turnout. In fact, in a lot of municipalities where they introduced it for the first time, the voter turnout was still decreasing.”