Who can vote?
How do I know if I'm on the Voters' List?
What if my name is not on the Voters List?
Where do I vote?
Do I need to show ID to vote?
How do I vote when I'm away from my electoral district?
How do I arrange for someone to vote for me by proxy?
Can I vote if I’m going to school in another province?
Can I vote at ANY poll on Election Day?
Can I vote at a poll on campus?
How can I get a job as an election official?
Who can vote?
To be eligible to vote you must be:
• a Canadian Citizen
• 18 years of age or older on Election Day
• a resident of the electoral district.
How do I know if I’m on the Voters’ List?
If your name is on the voters list, you will receive a Notice of Registration card in the mail. You can also confirm if your name is on the voters list:
• By calling the contact centre at 1.888.ONT.VOTE (1.888.668-8683), or
• By contacting your local returning office
What if my name is not on the Voters List?
If you’re not on the List, you can register to vote by providing proof of identity and proof of the address where you reside. You can register to vote at registration events, the returning office, or at the poll when you go to vote.
For information on acceptable identification, please refer to the Voter Identification page or call us at 1.888.ONT.VOTE (1.888.668.8683).
Where do I vote?
You vote in the electoral district where you permanently reside. This may be where your family lives or where you reside while at school.
You can determine where you permanently reside based on the Election Act.
The Ontario Election Act defines “residence” as the place to which you intend to return to whenever you are absent for any length of time. The Act states that:
• The place where your family resides is your permanent residence until you move elsewhere with the intention of making that change permanent
• If a person has no other permanent lodging place, the place where he or she occupies a room or part of a room as a regular lodger is his or her residence
Do I need to show ID to vote?
Yes. If you’re on the voters list, you must show proof of identity to obtain a ballot. If you don’t have proof of identity, you can instead make a statutory declaration to obtain a ballot.
How do I vote when I’m away from my electoral district?
There are two ways of voting in your home electoral district while living away at school.
First, you can travel to your permanent address and vote at an advance poll or on Election Day. If you can’t travel home to vote, you can vote by proxy instead.
Voting by proxy is appointing a qualified voter living in your home electoral district to vote on your behalf.
How do I arrange for someone to vote for me by proxy?
First, you must fill out and sign an “Application to Vote by Proxy”. You can get this form from the Vote by Proxy page or your local returning office, from the administrator of your facility if you live in long-term care or a temporary shelter, or from your disability service organization.
Your signature must be witnessed by someone other than the person you are appointing to vote by proxy. You must include a copy of your proof of your identity with your application. Refer to the Voter Identification page or call 1.888.668.8683/TTY: 1.866.273.4612, to find out what ID is needed.
After you have completed the application form and attached a copy of your ID, you need to give it to the person you are appointing. You may also send the application form and attached a copy of your ID to the person you are appointing by mail or fax.
Your proxy must take the application form and attached copy of your ID to the local Elections Ontario returning office for your electoral district by 8:00 p.m. the day before election day.
When your proxy takes the application form and attached copy of your ID to the local Elections Ontario returning office, your proxy must also show original proof of his or her identity. Refer to the Voter Identification page or call 1.888.668.8683./TTY: 1.866.273.4612, to find out what ID is needed.
After the application is approved by the returning officer or revision assistant in the returning office, your proxy will receive a “Certificate to Vote”.
Your proxy needs to present this Certificate and original proof of his or her identity to vote on your behalf at an advance poll or at the poll on Election and Referendum Day. If your proxy is not on the voters list, he or she must present original proof of his or her identity and residence. Refer to the Voter Identification page or call 1.888.668.8683./TTY: 1.866.273.4612, to find out what ID is needed.
Can I vote if I’m going to school in another province?
Yes you can vote by proxy if your permanent residence is in Ontario but you are temporarily living and/or going to school outside of the Province.
If you have lived in Ontario within two years of the Election Day you can vote by proxy provided:
• You lived in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months before leaving, and
• You intend to move back to Ontario
Out of Province voters should contact the Returning Officer in their former electoral district to ensure their name is on the Voter’s List.
Can I vote at ANY poll on Election Day?
No. On Election Day all voters (including students) must vote at the designated poll on your Notice of Registration card or Certificate to Vote.
There are numerous polls within each electoral district. In fact, there are approximately 22,000 polls in 107 electoral districts in Ontario.
Can I vote at a poll on campus?
You can only vote at a polling station on campus if your permanent residence is also on campus. If you live off campus you must vote at the polling station that has been provided near your address.
How can I get a job as an election official?
If you’re interested in working as an election official you should contact your local returning office. Returning office contact information is available on the Returning Office Information page or by calling 1.888.ONT.VOTE.