Elections Nova Scotia has announced that voters in the provincial riding of Preston will be able to cast early in-person ballots for an upcoming byelection using an electronic system.

This will be the first time in Canada that electronic ballots will be used.

Voters will be able to choose a candidate on a tablet rather than marking a paper ballot, and the tablet will verify the voter’s choice before producing a paper receipt that will be placed in a ballot box. The vote will be registered electronically, and the receipt will only be used in the event of a recount conducted by hand.

The Preston seat became vacant on April 1st, and the governing Progressive Conservative party has six months to call the byelection.