Posters
Session: P1 - Poster: Sydney Oakes (OLIP): Electoral Process Reform: Casting Ballots for Convenience and Digital Democracy in Ontario: Essensa-lizing the Right to Choose
Date: May 31, 2016 | Time: 08:45am to 10:15am | Location: Science Theatres 142
Sponsor: Provincial and Territorial Politics in Canada and Beyond / Politique provinciale et territoriale au Canada et au-delà
Discussant/Commentateur: Vincent Raynauld (Emerson College)
Participants & Authors/Auteurs:
Sydney Oakes (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme) : Electoral Process Reform: Casting Ballots for Convenience and Digital Democracy in Ontario: Essensa-lizing the Right to Choose
Abstract: "Low voter-turnout is prominent within established democracies, evidenced through academic literature, statistical analysis and perceived by the typical elector. With the intention of curbing this rising phenomena, and without relying on a dramatic alternative such as total electoral reform or compulsorily voting – as is the current case within Australia – Greg Essensa, Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario, Canada, is proposing an alternative solution: Electoral Process Reform. By allowing electors to choose how they would like to cast their ballots in the upcoming provincial elections, the hope is to increase both voter-turnout and the convenience of accessibility for all Ontarian electors.
By conducting a historical analysis of the provincial voting processes within the Canadian province of Ontario, and comparatively analyzing proportions of voter turnout to electoral reform processes in other sub-national established democracies, this paper will aim to contribute empirical evidence to the debate on sub-national voting process reformations – and whether Essensa’s proposal is likely to find success. Specifically, this paper will investigate whether internet voting and “vote anywhere” software technology has accomplished the desired characteristics of traditional regional paper ballot casting, such as privacy, accuracy and verifiability, while increasing voter turnout and the convenience of accessibility."
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