Chatham-Kent residents will once again be able to vote online in the advance polls during the 2018 municipal election.
Residents can choose between a paper ballot or online vote during the advance polls, but only paper ballots will be used on election day.
A report recently brought to council shows that there was an increase in voter turnout in the 2014 municipal election. A total of 7,330 Chatham-Kent residents voted using the online voting method.
"We found that this worked very well with the internet voting being the eight to 12 days in advance of the election," says Judy Smith, municipal clerk. "It allowed the election workers to close off the voters list and be able to repair it for election day."
Smith adds it's too early to say if the online voting method will be altered in any way.
"We haven't necessarily gotten into the fine details of the 2018 election," she says. "May 1 of 2017 was something that's been changed from the Election Act to say that we need to come forward to council to at least set the method of voting."
The voting method was approved by council on April 10.
Smith says more planning for the 2018 election will start at the beginning of the year. Elections will be held at the end of October 2018.