Election administrators' perceptions of verifiable online voting and its use in local elections

Abstract

Canada is the longest user of online voting in municipal elections and has primarily used non-verifiable systems, raising concerns about the integrity of election results and public and administrator confidence in the process. In the 2022 Ontario municipal elections, 9% of municipalities offered online voters the option of individual verifiability. To better understand the considerations and challenges of introducing verifiability mechanisms in local elections, this article explores municipal administrators' perceptions and understanding of verifiable online voting through three focus groups with local governments in Ontario, Canada: (1) users of verifiable online voting systems,(2) users of non-verifiable systems, and (3) those without online voting. We find deeper reasonings for selecting non-verifiable online voting systems, such as administrators' perceptions of voters' needs and the perceived value of transparency. To enhance the adoption of verifiable online voting, the article suggests promoting the value and meaning of verifiability among all stakeholders.