Some Canadians say no to in-person ballots

EDMONTON (CityNews) – For many voters, casting a ballot in-person will not be an option during the pandemic. A new Angus Reid survey finds more than a quarter of Canadians would be apprehensive about marking an X in person for a hypothetical federal election, with those aged 18 to 34 being the most reluctant.

Dave Korzinski with Angus Reid Research says that while those young adults are comfortable going out for other reasons, voting isn’t one of them.

While an election doesn’t top the list for most Canadians, the poll found that Conservative supporters are more confident about stepping foot inside a ballot booth.

An election could be triggered by the throne speech scheduled for Sep. 23, which is a non-confidence motion. But if that happens, the biggest voting controversies ahead of the US election likely wouldn’t be replicated here.

A pandemic election could also be a test for how we approach future votes as other methods of casting a ballot are explored.