Can members of an Ontario not-for-profit corporation attend and vote at meetings electronically?

Yes. ONCA permits an Ontario not-for-profit corporation to hold members' meetings entirely electronically, or to allow members to participate electronically in an otherwise in-person meeting, as long as the technology used allows all participants to communicate with each other and — where a vote is taken — allows votes to be counted accurately. This flexibility has been a significant practical change for organizations with geographically spread-out memberships.

Whether electronic participation is available, and on what terms, generally comes down to the corporation's articles and by-laws. A corporation whose by-laws are silent, or written before virtual meetings were common, should have them reviewed to make sure electronic and hybrid meetings are clearly authorized and that quorum and voting procedures for a virtual format are spelled out, rather than relying on an assumption that ONCA's general permission is automatically enough on its own.

Organizations that regularly rely on virtual annual general meetings should also think through practical safeguards — verifying attendee identity, providing a reliable method for electronic voting, and keeping a record of participation — since disputes about whether a virtual meeting was properly conducted can undermine decisions made at it.