Register of Absentee Electors
In Ontario, eligible electors temporarily living outside of the province have the option of adding their names to the Register of Absentee Electors. The Register of Absentee Electors is a list of Ontario electors who have moved out of the province less than two years before election day and who plan to return to Ontario. Some electors may be exempt from the two-year time limit.
Electors on the Register of Absentee Electors will automatically be sent a special ballot kit every time there is a general election, or a by-election in their electoral district. The special ballot kit will allow them to vote by mail using a write-in ballot.
Please note that, if you are on Register of Absentee Electors, you will not receive a Voter Information Card.
If you live in Ontario but will be away on election day, you will not be eligible to add your name to the Register of Absentee Electors but you may still be able to vote by special ballot.
Your name can be added to the Register of Absentee Electors anytime if you meet all of the following conditions:
- You are 18 years of age or older
- You are a Canadian citizen
- You moved out of the province less than two-years before election day
- You had lived in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months before you left
- You are planning to return to Ontario
You are exempt from the two-year time limit if one or more of the following apply:
- You are on active duty as a member of the Canadian armed forces
- You are working for the government of Canada or Ontario
- You are attending an educational institution
- You are an immediate family member of any of the above
To have your name added to the Register of Absentee Electors, you will need to complete an application form and provide a photocopy of an identification document that includes your name.
To obtain an application form:
- Download it from our website
- Contact us by calling collect at 1-416-649-1046
- Email us at sb@elections.on.ca
Find more about the identification requirements:
To submit your completed application form, you can:
- Scan your application and your identification document and email them as an attachment to sb@elections.on.ca
- Mail your application and a photocopy of your identification document to Elections Ontario, Special Ballot, 51 Rolark Drive, Toronto, Ontario M1R 3B1
- Fax your application and a copy of your identification document to 1-416-212-8723 or toll free in Canada and USA at 1-888-483-4448
We MUST receive your application and a copy of your identification document no later than 6:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) six days before election day.
A special ballot officer at Elections Ontario will review your application and the copy of your identification document. If your application is approved, your name will be added to the Register of Absentee Electors.
Once you’ve been added to the Register of Absentee Electors, you will automatically receive a special ballot kit by mail when a general election or by-election in your electoral district is called.
The special ballot kit includes:
- A write-in ballot
- A secrecy envelope
- An elector confirmation envelope
- A pre-addressed return envelope
- Detailed voting instructions
Once the kit has been mailed to you, you will be unable to choose another voting option, such as voting at an advance poll or in person on election day.
We use a courier service to mail your ballot to you. In order for you to receive your ballot within a two to three day window, your mailing address must be a physical address. If your mailing address includes a Post Office Box, your ballot may be delayed by up to two weeks.
We MUST receive your write-in ballot no later than 6:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) on election day.
As a member or family member of a member of the Canadian Forces, living outside of your residential electoral district, you can choose to vote by mail by submitting an application form to vote by mail using special ballot, or by applying to be on the Register of Absentee Electors of Ontario.
Special ballot application forms will become available once a general election or a by-election has been called.
Register of Absentee Electors of Ontario application forms are available anytime. Electors on the Register of Absentee Electors will automatically be sent a special ballot kit once a general election or by-election in their electoral district has been called.
You can still take part in elections if you are currently studying away from home.
If you are studying somewhere else in Ontario, you can choose to vote in the electoral district where you permanently reside OR in the electoral district in which you are temporarily living to attend school. Remember, you must show identification that includes both your name and residential address when you go to vote.
If you are studying outside of Ontario, you can vote by mail by submitting a special ballot application form, or by applying to be on the Register of Absentee Electors of Ontario.
Special ballot application forms will become available once a general election or a by-election has been called.
Register of Absentee Electors of Ontario application forms are available anytime. Electors on the Register of Absentee Electors will automatically be sent a special ballot kit once a general election or by-election in their electoral district has been called.
Email: sb@elections.on.ca
Please include “Special Ballots – Information” in the subject line
Mailing address:
Elections Ontario
Attention: Special Ballots
51 Rolark Drive
Toronto ON, M1R 3B1
Phone:
Toll-Free in Canada and the United States: 1-855-523-5932
Collect calls from anywhere in the world: 1-416-649-1046
TTY toll-free in Canada and the United States: 1-888-292-2312
Fax:
Toll-free in Canada and the United States: 1-888-483-4448
From anywhere in the world: 1-416-212-8723
Please include “Elections Ontario – Attention: Special Ballots” on your cover page.