Officials in Nova Scotia say an upcoming provincial byelection will be the first election in Canada conducted in part by electronic ballots.
Elections Nova Scotia says voters in the riding of Preston will be able to cast early ballots in person using an electronic system for the byelection, a date for which has not yet been set.
Assistant chief electoral officer Lindsay Rodenkirchen says the secure system developed by her agency will allow voters to choose a candidate on an electronic tablet.
The tablet will verify the voter’s choice before producing a paper receipt to be placed in a ballot box.
Rodenkirchen says the vote will be registered electronically and the paper receipt will be used only in the event of a recount conducted by hand.
She says the system is meant to allow officials to count advance votes within minutes, instead of hours, on election day.
The Preston riding became vacant April 1 following the resignation of Liberal member Angela Simmonds.
