TORONTO – April 26, 2004 – Qualified electors who are unable to cast their ballot in person for the May 13 by-election in Hamilton East may apply to vote by proxy. Proxy voting allows voters to appoint another person in the electoral district to vote on their behalf.
To be eligible to vote, on polling day a person must be:
- 18 years of age or older,
- a Canadian citizen, and
- a resident of the Electoral District of Hamilton East.
A person who ceased to reside in Ontario within two years of election day may still appoint a proxy provided:
- they resided in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months before departure
- their last Ontario residence was in the electoral district of Hamilton East, and
- they intend to reside in Ontario again.
People in the three situations below - as well as their families - who are qualified to vote are not restricted by the two-year limitation. If otherwise qualified, they may vote regardless of the length of time they have been outside of Ontario:
- employees of the Ontario and Canadian governments,
- military personnel on active duty, and
- students attending educational institutions.
An elector may not act as a proxy voter for more than two electors. The proxy voter must present the application to vote by proxy to the Hamilton East Returning Office to receive a Certificate to Vote on behalf of the voter appointing the proxy, which in turn must be presented at the polling place to receive a ballot.
For added convenience, a proxy voter may apply to have his or her name transferred to the poll where the proxy vote is to be cast or, in turn, to transfer the name of the voter appointing the proxy to their own poll.
Applications to vote by proxy can be downloaded from the Elections Ontario website at www.electionsontario.on.ca. They can also be obtained from the returning office and are available from candidates.
Hamilton East Returning Office
The Centre Mall
1227 Barton Street East
Hamilton, ON L8H 2V4
Monday to Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.
Tel: 905-544-5800 / Toll free: 1-866-271-6882
For more information on the Hamilton East by-election, contact the returning office or visit the Elections Ontario website www.electionsontario.on.ca.
Media Contacts:
Elections Ontario Media Centre:
416.212.6186 / 1.866.252.2152
media@electionsontario.on.ca