When NWT became the first province or territory to offer online voting in a general election last fall, Cynthia Jewell was unaware. 

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e never heard about it, so thatSA国际影视传媒檚 why I havenSA国际影视传媒檛 voted online,SA国际影视传媒� Jewell, an executive secretary in Yellowknife, said. SA国际影视传媒淚t would be easier if I knew, then ISA国际影视传媒檇 vote online.SA国际影视传媒�

SheSA国际影视传媒檚 one of over 96 per cent of residents that didnSA国际影视传媒檛 cast a ballot online, according to tabled in the NWT Legislative Assembly in December. 

Nicole Latour, NWT chief electoral officer, attributes the relatively low online turn-out to it being a general election first in Canada.

SA国际影视传媒淪ome people were not that sure. It was a litmus test. Like I said SA国际影视传媒� if it puts ballots in two peopleSA国际影视传媒檚 hands or 50 peopleSA国际影视传媒檚 hands, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 a success. They were able to access their ballot that way," she said. 

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a choice. The fact that we got to where we were SA国际影视传媒� itSA国际影视传媒檚 a very small percentage SA国际影视传媒� but I think a lot of people were playing an observation role."

Latour explained some voters strictly preferred paper ballots, while others waited to hear otherSA国际影视传媒檚 experiences with online voting before trying it themselves. 

About 16 per cent of the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 3.7 per cent online votes were cast in advance polls, according to official results. An estimated 600 people engaged with the system overall, said Latour, while roughly 400 followed through to casting a ballot.

Those numbers follow Elections NWT's strong push in the voteSA国际影视传媒檚 lead-up to promote online ballots. It included reaching out to young voters studying at southern post-secondary institutions and absentee voters, who have historically faced challenges voting with through mail-in ballots.

The Oct. 1 election saw an overall 54 per cent turnout across the territory, which was a 10 per cent increase from the 2015 election. This yearSA国际影视传媒檚 results were also higher than the 2011 election, which saw 48 per cent of registered voters turn out.

One of the main draws for those who did vote online, particularly for younger voters, according to Latour, was its ease of use.

SA国际影视传媒淚f inconvenience is a barrier, we can remove it by saying, well you donSA国际影视传媒檛 have to leave your house,SA国际影视传媒� she said. 

Though voters like Jewell may have been unaware of the service, Latour described promotion as fairly successful and cost-effective, largely focusing on social media posts and media interviews. 

And in the future, Latour said the base of online voters will only grow.

Over the next four election events, itSA国际影视传媒檚 possible online and paper ballots equal each other, or for internet voting to become more popular, she said.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be very interesting moving forward, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 not the entire election,SA国际影视传媒� Latour said, adding there was still wide ranging traffic from online voters, from Italy and France to a beach in Florida.

A small population also means NWT doesn't share the security concerns pestering larger electorates, said Latour, while other challenges such as internet access could be more of a barrier.

When asked about how internet connectivity could impact online voting in smaller communities, she said it was difficult for the organization to glean data from Northwestel. 

Smaller communities tend to cast paper ballots and enjoy strong voter participation rates, she said.

The low numbers, nonetheless, were also a marked departure from a 2016 Prince |Edward Island plebiscite on electoral reform, which Latour was an observer of as NWT began to prepare its own online system.

The PEI vote enticed 80 per cent of voters to cast online ballots. Along with Manitoba, the small Atlantic province is looking to offer the option in upcoming general elections.  

Latour characterized the online option in NWT as a success. 

SA国际影视传媒淚 think it went well, I think itSA国际影视传媒檚 something we should continue to do,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 an option and who doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 like options. Let the voter decide.SA国际影视传媒�