The returning office is your resource centre. Staff will be happy to respond to any public inquiries you wish to refer to them. Candidates may also wish to make this section, “Responding to the Public”, available to staff and volunteers for when they are responding to the public.
Information to Electors
After the writ is issued, Elections Ontario sends a pamphlet to all households with information on elector qualifications and when and where electors can register and vote. This information is also available on the Elections Ontario web site or by calling the local returning office.
Qualified Electors
To be qualified to vote in this by-election, a person must be on Polling Day:
- 18 years of age or older, and
- a Canadian citizen, and
- a resident of the electoral district.
Please refer any further questions about eligibility to the returning office.
Elector Identification
To register to be on the List of Electors, an elector must show proof of identity and proof of residence. If a person is already on the List of Electors, he or she will still be asked to prove their identity at the poll. For a list of acceptable identification documents, see Voter Identification or call the returning office.
Jobs
As noted in this guide under “Poll Officials,” the Returning Officer must hire hundreds of poll workers for Polling Day. Your campaign office may receive calls inquiring about such temporary work opportunities.
- Up to and including Day 11: If the candidate intends to provide a list of potential poll workers for Polling Day to the Returning Officer, please complete form F0404, List of Qualified Persons to Serve at the Election.
- Starting Day 10: Callers seeking work should contact the returning office directly.
Target Revision
During the writ period, it may be necessary for Elections Ontario revising agents to visit households in selected areas to update the List of Electors – typically this “target revision” takes place in areas that have experienced rapid growth or where there are buildings with high mobility rates.
Notice of Registration Cards
Notice of Registration cards are mailed to electors based on the information recorded in the Permanent Register of Electors for Ontario and on updates to elector information collected during target revision. Each card shows the elector’s name and mailing address, the returning office contact information and the advance poll and Polling Day voting locations for the elector. Voting locations are based on the elector’s residential address. A single mailing of Notice of Registration cards will be inducted into the mail on Day 16.
When speaking to the public, we ask you and your representatives to refer any qualified elector who has not received a Notice of Registration card or who has received an incorrect card to the returning office.
Additions to the List of Electors
Qualified electors whose names do not appear on the List of Electors have a number of alternatives up to and including Polling Day.
- Electors may apply at the returning office for a Certificate to Vote and take it with them to the poll on Polling Day. Their application must be received before 8 p.m. on Day 1 (the day before Polling Day), or
- Electors may attend an advance poll where they can obtain a Certificate to Vote (and also vote), or
- Electors may vote on Polling Day even if they are not on the List of Electors. They will need to take documents that prove their identity and residence to the correct polling place to register to vote. Please check the list of acceptable identification.
Electors with Accessibility Needs
Elections Ontario provides a range of products and services to accommodate electors with special needs. The following are answers to frequently asked questions about services to electors with accessibility needs. For more about what we offer to help electors with special needs, please see the Elections Ontario Outreach Program.
- Languages other than English: Information in multiple languages is available on our web site and in our advertising.
- Sign language: Elections Ontario covers the cost of sign language interpreters to assist electors when they go to vote. This service is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so electors should set this up as soon as possible with their local Ontario Interpreting Services offices. Electors who are deaf-blind should contact their intervenor service provider.
- Other formats: Electors can get information about voting in Braille, on CD or cassette, as a downloadable Duxbury Braille translation, and through VoicePrint.
- Wheelchair access: All local Elections Ontario returning offices and advance polling places are
wheelchair accessible.
- Proxy voting: Electors who are unable to vote in person may appoint an elector who resides in their electoral district to vote for them by proxy. These arrangements must be completed with the Returning Officer no later than 8 p.m. on Day 1 (the day before Polling Day).
- Voters with disabilities: Electors who need help with voting can contact their local returning office for more information on the options available.
Complaints about Lawn Signs
Please do not forward complaints about the placement of campaign signs to Elections Ontario as we have no jurisdiction in this area. Where public property is affected, calls should be directed to your municipal government offices. Alternatively, if signs are close to a highway, the issue may fall under the Ministry of Transportation’s jurisdiction.
Local Services for Electors
- Electors may visit the returning office for a range of services:
- General information about registering to vote and voting in the election
- Changes in or addition of their information to the List of Electors
- Certification of application to vote by proxy
- Certificate to Vote
- Returning Office advance polls (see dates and locations below)
- Transfers
For Polling Day, voting locations are determined by the elector’s residential address. This voting location information is included on the Notice of Registration card. Electors who are unsure of where they vote should contact the returning office or refer to the “Where Do I Vote” application to locate their polling place.