Sarnia residents may be able to vote for their mayor and councillors online and by phone in the next municipal election.
Council agreed last week to join Lambton County in a request for proposals from Internet and telephone service providers, with an eye to the 2018 election.
If approved, online and phone voting would provide an alternative to traditional polling station ballots, and could prove popular with voters who are young, working or have mobility issues.
Council, however, rejected a proposal to scrap the current first-past-the-post election model and with replace it with a ranked ballot system.
Provincial legislation this year allows for ranked ballots, but councillors said it would be confusing and expensive.