In this section
We are looking into Internet voting to make voting more accessible. The introduction of Internet voting would be aligned with various other measures designed to facilitate access to voting. Our approach is intended to be cautious and gradual. As with any pilot project, this trial will be subject to an agreement between Élections Québec, the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation and the participating municipalities.
Five fundamental principles
Our approach is based on five fundamental principles.
An accessible election system is fair and open to all electors. The right to vote is exercised under consistent conditions, free from discrimination. All electors can exercise this right independently.
Electors can exercise the right to vote without influence or constraint, and with complete freedom and independence of mind, belief, opinion, and will. Internet voting will not replace other voting methods; it represents an additional option.
Voters’ choices remain anonymous. Votes cannot be traced to an individual elector.
Election results properly reflect the will of the electorate. An individual elector can only cast the number of votes allowed by law. The elector’s identity is verified. His or her vote cannot be changed.
Electors and other election stakeholders can monitor the integrity of each step in the voting process. They understand election proceedings and can confirm that effective verification mechanisms are in place.
These principles will guide every step in testing Internet voting.
Outline of the pilot project
The pilot project is based on four main guidelines.
Each municipality will be responsible for its own elections. However, in order to ensure the process operates smoothly and to coordinate efforts, Élections Québec will be responsible for selecting the supplier and for implementing and administering the platform. The chosen digital solution will have to meet a number of security and accessibility requirements.
Electors who will have the option of voting by Internet will also have access to all other voting options. They could therefore choose Internet voting or vote in person.
Internet voting will be offered over two three-day voting periods. During these periods, it will be offered continuously, 24 hours a day. It would not be available on advance polling days or on election day.
Internet voting will be available in certain districts or boroughs of some 15 municipalities with populations of 20,000 or more.
List of municipalities interested
We would like to test Internet voting in some 15 municipalities with populations of 20,000 or more, with a wide range of profiles, spread across the various administrative regions of Québec. The distribution of municipalities across the territory will give us an overview of the Internet voting experience in different regions.
To take part in this pilot project, a municipality must first confirm its interest by a municipal council resolution. Applications are then analyzed, in particular to verify their eligibility and to ensure the diversity of the profiles of the selected municipalities. Since many municipalities are interested in this project, we cannot guarantee that all those who have adopted such a resolution will participate.
Here is a list of the municipalities that have sent us a resolution to date:
- Alma
- Belœil
- Drummondville
- Granby
- Joliette
- Lévis
- Magog
- Mirabel
- Rimouski
- Sainte-Julie
- Saint-Georges
- Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
- Saint-Lazare
- Terrebonne
This list is subject to change. It will be updated over time.
Returning officers in municipalities with populations of 20,000 or more who wish to participate in our pilot project must contact us by email.
Study in the Québec context
For more information on Internet voting, see the study (PDF) we released on the topic in June 2020. It discusses voting trials conducted in Canada and elsewhere in the world. The document includes the results of the consultations we conducted in 2019, in which all Quebecers were invited to participate. A summary (PDF) of the study is also available.
Available documents
Call for expressions of interest
Documents related to a call for expressions of interest published in the fall of 2022 to survey the market for businesses specializing in Internet voting.
Documents related to the study
- Internet voting – in the Québec context: A study (PDF)
- Study summary (PDF)
- Web news
- Press release (in French)
Documents related to the fall 2019 consultation
Documents submitted during the consultation
Most of these documents are in French.
- Arteau, Olivier – Mémoire
- Essex, Aleksander, Nicholas Akinyokun et Anthony Cardillo – Article scientifique (in English)
- Gagnon, Clément – Mémoire
- Jamin, Régis – Mémoire
- Miron, Marc-André – Mémoire
- MRC de Témiscamingue – Résolution
- Nuvoola – Commentaire
- Parti Québécois – Mémoire
- Regroupement des aveugles et amblyopes du Québec – Mémoire
- Rodeus Technologies – Mémoire
- Simple Vote – Mémoire