This year's municipal election in Sudbury will involve electronic voting only, with no paper ballots at all.
The city says it's the way of the future and it's efficient and secure, but some people are not happy with the idea.
In a democracy, it is said that "the pen is mightier than the sword" when it comes to changing a government.
Sudburians will be voting in eight weeks, only this time not with a pen, but with the click of a mouse or the touch of a screen.
Eric Labelle is a clerk for the City of Greater Sudbury.
"Electronic voting will provide ease of access, convenience for voters, and the ability to tabulate those results very quickly on election night." said Labelle.
Sounds great, but not everyone is voting yes to the idea, especially seniors.
Hugh Kruzel is the chair of Canadian Association of Retired Persons’ Sudbury chapter.
"We've got two months. People can figure out how to get somewhere, how to vote, maybe they'll go out and buy a tablet. I don't know, maybe this is the push some people might need." said Kruzel.
For others, a piece of the democratic spirit is being taken away and is something candidate Terry Kett has heard on the campaign trail.
"They prefer to take a walk to the local polling station and cast their vote. It's part of being a democratic citizen." said Kett.
While tradition has rarely fought off the march of time, technology comes with its own baggage.
You've probably heard a little something about election meddling or Russian hacking. It's a concern for our friends south of the border and even in this country at the federal level. While it's unlikely that a foreign power would be interested in tampering with a local election in northeastern Ontario, the question has to be asked, can an election that takes place entirely online be truly secure?
Kett says some voters are skeptical.
"They're saying, ‘you know what, I don't really trust the internet either.’" said Kett.
But the city says voters can have faith in the integrity of the system, used in more than 90 cities in the last municipal election.
It has plenty of safeguards, like rigourous testing by city staff, an outside auditor, real-time monitoring, and firewalls all from a facility managed by the voting company. There'll be location tracking of every vote cast to ensure they're authentic and once you've voted, your ID and pin are disabled and can't be used again.
For those feeling anxious about casting their vote in cyberspace, Greater Sudbury city council incumbent candidate, Robert Kirwan, has a Good Samaritan-style solution.
"If you know someone like that, take your laptop, go to their house, guide them through the process, so at least they won't be disenfranchised in this election." said Kirwan.
Because a pen just isn't all that mighty in the internet age.
