The study team is led by McMaster University researcher Dr. Chelsea Gabel (Department of Health, Aging & Society; Indigenous Studies) and is funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).The interest and uptake of Internet voting and e-democracy among First Nations suggests the importance of research in this area. The proposed project brings together a unique collaboration of academic, community, government and industry partners, and leverages this partnership to address a number of substantial gaps in our knowledge of First Nations civic and electoral engagement, local governance, and the impact of digital technology. This partnership includes four First Nation communities in Ontario that plan to implement Internet voting and e-democracy, the Union of Ontario Indians, Elections Canada, industry partner Scytl (a firm involved in developing Internet voting and democracy software), and NEOnet (a not-for- profit organization advocating for Aboriginal and northern/rural IT needs). It also includes York’s Institute for Social Research, Ryerson’s Centre for Indigenous Governance and Carleton University’s Survey Centre.
Meet our team
