Last month, Council voted to continue to use telephone and internet voting as the only means of casting a ballot in the 2026 Municipal and School Board Election.
Paper ballots have not been used in Cavan Monaghan since 2010. In that year, voter turnout was 43%, rising to just over 47 in the 2014 and 2018 elections. Voter turnout in the 2022 election was 44%.
Under the electronic voting system, residents cast their votes electronically by telephone or internet, relying on a secure Personal Information Number (PIN) that is mailed to households during the month of September. The Voters’ List is compiled by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) based on public records, and voters can confirm the accuracy of their personal information atwww.voterlookup.ca.
One of the advantages of this system is that voters can confirm their vote was properly recorded by going back into the system and seeing their vote using a personal receipt code issued when their vote is accepted.
The electronic system was introduced to improve the accessibility and convenience of the voting process. Voters can submit their ballot over an extended period of time from any location equipped with a phone or internet connection rather than travelling to a designated location on a specific day. It is also less expensive. Voter feedback has been largely positive as voters are becoming increasingly comfortable accessing key government services in their daily lives by electronic means.
Most municipalities in Peterborough County have adopted electronic voting as their only voting method, but Trent Lakes and Havelock Belmont Methuen offered a paper ballot option as well as the electronic/telephone option in the 2022 election. In Trent Lakes, the voter turnout in that election was 26.8%, well below that of Cavan Monaghan. Of the 3,153 who voted in that contest, 214 did so with a paper ballot. According to Cavan Monaghan Clerk Cindy Page, the cost per vote of the paper ballots was $34, compared to the $7.55 cost for the electronic votes.
The election costs for the 2022 municipal election in Cavan Monaghan was $25,900, slightly less than the two previous elections. The next municipal election will be held on October 26, 2026.