If, on election day, you are:
- 18 years of age or older,
- a Canadian citizen, and
- a resident of the electoral district in Ontario
then you can vote!
Special circumstances
Some voters are in what we call "Special circumstances". In particular, these people fall into one of three groups:
- Ontario residents outside the province
- Inmates in penal or correctional institutions
- Non-traditional residences
Ontario residents outside the province
Voters who are otherwise eligible to vote but who have ceased to reside in Ontario within two years of election day, may be entitled to vote in their former electoral district under the following conditions:
- if they resided in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months before ceasing to reside there,
- if they intend to reside in Ontario again, and
- if their last Ontario residence was in the electoral district.
Exceptions to the two-year limitation
People in the three categories below - as well as their families - who are qualified to vote in Ontario provincial elections are not restricted by the two-year limitation. If otherwise qualified, the following may vote regardless of the length of time they have been out of Ontario:
- employees of the Ontario and Canadian governments,
- military personnel on active duty, and
- students attending educational institutions.
Please note: Ontario residents outside the province can cast their vote by proxy. They should check with the Returning Officer for their former electoral district to be sure their name is on the Voters List.
Inmates
If a person is an inmate under sentence in a penal or correctional institution, the place where he or she last resided before being imprisoned is considered their residence for election purposes and they can arrange to vote by proxy in that electoral district.
Non-traditional residences
A person's residence is defined as the permanent lodging place where he or she intends to return. If a person has no permanent lodging place, the place where he or she most frequently returns to eat or sleep during the five weeks prior to election day is considered their residence for election purposes. Examples of persons with no permanent lodging place might be those who live in shelters or hostels, and residents of marinas or trailer parks. They are entitled to vote in the electoral district where that place is located, provided they meet the other qualifications of an elector.