Wait, does this mean we have to leave the house?

While some Ontario residents will be able to cast advance ballots using smartphones, tablets and laptops in next month’s municipal elections, Saultites won’t be among them.

Sault Ste. Marie has decided not to follow suit over security and ballot secrecy concerns, said Malcolm White, city clerk.

“There are still concerns regarding the security of online voting, both on the technological side and the possibility of fraudulent voting,” said White.

White said city staff attended seminars on online voting earlier this year but weren’t convinced that the systems currently available protect the voting process.

Since PIN codes used to access the voting system are delivered by mail, White said his concern is that a scenario might arise where a ‘dominant’ member of a household intercepts the codes and thereby controls the vote of others within the household.

“As someone running the election, you would have no idea if that is happening,” said White.

He said the other concern is that a ballot cast online may not be done so in secret.

Those concerns haven’t held back cities like Sudbury and Timmins, both of which plan to offer online voting during the advance polling period.

Toronto had an online voting system in the works, but postponed the plan due to technological delays.

Leamington, southeast of Windsor, will hold its election entirely online, making it the first Ontario municipality to do away with paper ballots.

Those without computers or Internet access will be able to vote at “information centres” using computers supplied by the city.

In an announcement this spring, Leamington Mayor John Paterson hailed the move as more accessible, easier and less costly than traditional voting.

Last municipal election in 2010, 44 municipalities allowed online voting.