Voters in Queens County are edging closer to being able to cast their ballots online or via phone in the upcoming municipal election scheduled for October.

Following a request made by councilors in January, Cody Joudry, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), was tasked with assessing the feasibility and associated costs of implementing electronic voting in Queens, while still retaining the traditional paper ballot system.

Currently, 20 out of 49 municipalities in Nova Scotia provided electronic voting options in 2020. Notably, Elections Nova Scotia utilized electronic ballots in the July byelection held in Preston and has plans to extend e-voting for the provincial election slated for 2025.

In a report presented to the council this week, Joudry highlighted that over 40 municipalities across the province are anticipated to offer electronic voting choices this year.

Joudry recommended that the council vote in favor of retaining the traditional paper ballot while simultaneously introducing online and telephone voting mechanisms. He estimated that the incorporation of an e-ballot option would necessitate an additional $20,000 in expenses, bringing the total budget to $70,000.