Heather Wright/The Independent

St. Clair Township residents will vote online in the 2026 municipal election.

Council approved the online vote March 3.

Clerk Jeff Baranek says “voter turnout heavily depends on how contested the races are, but data from across Ontario supports the theory that internet voting yields the strongest turnouts.”

St. Clair switched to voting by mail in the 2022 election. With “hotly contested races”, Baranek said voter turn was 39.4 per cent, down from the 2018 election, which was 48.6 per cent, but higher than the 2014 election which was around 30 per cent.

Baranek says the township will have information nights and is planning public voting depots with good Wifi connections across the municipality.

And he says, for those who don’t want to vote online, paper ballot voting will be available at the Civic Centre on election day.

Baranek says the cost of an online vote isn’t necessarily cheaper – St. Clair spent nearly $70,000 last time around – however other municipalities who use it saw voter turnout climb with the online option. In Warwick, over two elections, voter turnout increased 11 per cent. In Plympton-Wyoming, it jumped over 15 per cent. Other municipalities, such as Pt. Edward saw voter turnout shoot up 15 per cent the first election and then, drop slightly the next.

St. Clair will be working with other Lambton municipalities to secure a contract for the 2026 municipal elections.