Trust in paper and convenience voting methods: evidence from the 2022 municipal elections in Ontario, Canada

This article evaluates voter trust in traditional paper ballots and three convenience voting methods: mail-in voting, telephone voting, and online voting. Drawing upon a representative sample of eligible electors in the 2022 Ontario, Canada municipal elections – a unique case where all methods of voting were available to some voters – we explore possible covariates of trust in each of these voting modes. Our findings show that age is related to trust in paper-based voting modes (in person paper ballots and mail), while interest in politics and previous use of a voting mode are positively related to trust in all voting methods. With respect to Internet voting specifically, persons with disabilities are less likely to trust online ballots, while variables such as rurality and familiarity with the Internet are positively related to trust in the voting mode.