People in Cape Breton can vote online in the upcoming fall municipal election. (CBC)

For the first time in Cape Breton Regional Municipality history, voters will be able to cast their ballot electronically.

The municipality is sending residents a letter next week with an individual PIN which, combined with a person's birth date, will allow them to log onto a website and vote.

Bernie White, the CBRM's municipal clerk, said voters' privacy will be protected with the new system.

"Nobody will ever know who you voted for, once you are prompted to say 'here's your contest who do you wish to pick?' They will confirm with you 'is that for sure who you wanted?' And then you hit the button, when you hit that button it's the same thing as folding your ballot and putting it in, so we will know then that you did vote, but we would never know who you voted for. So the sanctity of the vote is protected in that way," he said.

"The double security of knowing your date of birth plus the PIN number and people protecting that PIN number the same way as they would protect their automatic banking. Plus, quite frankly, it's against the law, one vote per customer."

White said the system will allow people to vote for a mayor, their district councillor, and their school board member.

The physical polls open Oct. 20, but people can vote electronically once they receive their pin.