Would you trust your election vote to a computer?

The head of Elections Canada says he wants to see internet voting come to federal elections in the next two years.

"Elections Canada has been examining internet voting as a complementary and convenient way to cast a ballot. The chief electoral officer is committed to seeking approval for a test of internet voting in a byelection held after 2013," said Marc Mayrand.

Internet voting isn't new to Canada. The city of Stratford, Ont., held a completely paperless election in 2010. Residents cast their ballots by phone, via the Internet and in electronic polling booths.

Mayrand said any changes to the federal electoral process would require changes to the law.

So, we communicate over the internet. We shop and do our banking online, trusting computers with our financial information. We file our taxes online. Why not vote on the internet?

It seems the CBC Community is wary of internet voting. The highest rated comments on our story are skeptical of the idea.

"I am a software developer and I say ABSOLUTELY NOT to online voting!" wrote jonnny.
"I could totally alter the results of an election in a few seconds, and no one would ever know. I like having a paper trail that is much harder for people to mess with," he said.

"Online banking and online shopping... great... it's easy to ensure you're not getting ripped off because get receipts and monthly statements that you can check and request corrections... but electronic voting cannot be trusted," said AvidReader88.

Would you vote over the internet? Would you trust your ballot to a computer program? Let us know what you think.

Related: FAQ: Online voting in Canada



(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)