Nicole Goodman

Bio: Nicole Goodman is an academic researcher from University of Toronto. The author has contributed to research in topics: Voting & Instant-runoff voting. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 18 publications receiving 154 citations. Previous affiliations of Nicole Goodman include McMaster University & Carleton University.

Internet Voting in a Local Election in Canada

Abstract: In the past decade, Internet voting has been used in hundreds of binding elections at multiple levels of government throughout the world. Though many European jurisdictions have established well-developed online voting models, Canada is quickly emerging as an important research case. To date, there have been more instances of remote Internet voting in local Canadian elections than any other country. There have been more than two million remote Internet voting opportunities in over 90 local Canadian elections. This chapter analyzes the effects of online ballots by examining the City of Markham, Ontario as a case study. Using survey data from the 2003, 2006, and 2010 Markham municipal elections, a 2010 survey of candidates and other municipal data were applicable, the chapter considers which electors are using Internet voting, its potential to positively impact voting turnout, whether it is encouraging the participation of reported nonvoters, and assesses the implications for candidates and campaigns.

Another Digital Divide? Evidence That Elimination of Paper Voting Could Lead to Digital Disenfranchisement

Abstract: Internet voting is currently used in binding elections in 10 countries, and is being considered in many others. In almost all instances where it has been implemented, it is offered as a complementary method of voting; often with the aim to make voting easier and thereby improve turnout. In many municipalities in Canada, however, the adoption of online voting has meant the simultaneous elimination of paper ballots. Drawing on data from a large survey of paper and Internet voters in the 2014 municipal elections in the province of Ontario, Canada, this article examines the effects of eliminating paper ballots on electors based on their digital literacy. We show that digital access and literacy are strongly related to voting method when paper ballots are an option. When paper ballots are unavailable, however, the voting population is made up of more technologically savvy electors, though this effect is delayed and does not occur in the first election without paper ballots. We interpret this finding to indicate that the elimination of paper ballots can disenfranchise those on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Fewer voters, higher stakes? The applicability of rational choice for voter turnout in Quebec municipalities:

Abstract: Municipal voter turnout is often considered to be a function of electorate size. According to the rational choice theory of voter behavior, a rational voter is more inclined to abstain in the presence of larger electorates, and more likely to participate in smaller ones. This article examines the impact of electorate size on voter turnout using a multivariate regression model to explain voter participation in Quebec municipalities in the 2009 and 2013 local elections (N = 1040). Several other assumptions pertaining to the rational voter are also tested. We find that rational choice theory explains 45% of municipal voter participation in these Quebec elections and that it supports the probability of pivotal voting. Our analysis also confirms that the number of electors, number of mayoral candidates, tax rate, presence of a political party, and incumbency have different effects on participation in small and large municipalities.

The patchwork of internet voting in Canada

Abstract: Internet voting developments in Canada are growing quickly, with activity focused in local elections, political party leadership votes and unions In some instances, the federal structure of the Canadian state facilitates Internet voting use, while in others it inhibits it The result of this system of divided jurisdiction is that Internet voting use in Canada resembles a patchwork, showing strong concentration in some areas and no penetration in other places In addition to scattered geographic use, a variety of approaches to implementation are employed In some cases online ballots are complementary to paper, while in others elections are now fully electronic I-voting can be a twostep process requiring registration or a more direct one-step voting procedure Likewise, Internet voting is offered in the advance portion of certain elections, whereas in others it is available for the full voting period Finally, given that private companies administer the Internet voting portion of elections there is also a mixture of technology

A New Engagement? Political Participation, Civic Life, and the Changing American Citizen

Abstract: A New Engagement? Political Participation, Civic Life, and the Changing American Citizen. By Cliff Zukin, Scott Keeter, Molly Andolina, Krista Jenkins, and Michael X. Delli Carpini. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. 253p. $19.00. Should we be really worried about declining public engagement? Or should we accept that it is merely changing shape? This book describes substantial alterations in the ways Americans are involved in public life, particularly younger citizens, and analyzes a wide range of empirical data with the goal of understanding the implications—both negative and positive—of these emerging patterns of participation.

The Cégep Curriculum : Responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada : Calls to Action

Abstract: The calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, released in 2015, include calls for “Education for Reconciliation” between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. As an educational institution that reaches a large portion of the young adult population in Quebec, the college system is in a unique position to address these calls. The presentation will include concepts in Indigenous pedagogy and demonstrate an application of it to allow participants to brainstorm ways to apply these methods in their respective fields.