No Rollcall Votes in Commons If New Electronic Voting App Adopted

Government Whip Mark Holland rises at the end of a 30-hour marathon voting session in the House of Commons on March 22, 2019. Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

OTTAWA—The COVID-19 pandemic is about to force another big break from tradition in the House of Commons: MPs using an app on their smartphones or laptops to cast votes remotely.

Party whips are still discussing some unresolved details, the most important of which is ensuring Canadians will be able to see how their MPs vote, in real-time, as they click yea or nay.