Voting Information

WHAT…?

...do I need to bring to vote?

In Ontario, you don’t need a government-issued ID to vote, you can bring documents like: a document showing campus residence, your transcript, a bank or credit card statement, or even your cell phone or utility bill as a form of identification.

 

...are Municipal Elections?

Municipal elections are held every four years and set out roles for municipal clerks and councils. As a student living in a city for your education, the results of the municipal election affect you as well.

 

...does it mean by ranked ballot election?

To learn more about ranked ballot elections, please click here.

WHO?

  • You have to be 18 years old or older by election day in order to vote.
  • You have to be a Canadian citizen.
  • You need proof of residency in the municipality - post-secondary enrollment is accepted!

There are 3 ways that you can qualify to vote in a municipality:

  1. As a resident elector if you live in the municipality. You may own, rent, live in shared accommodation where you do not pay rent or live in the municipality but do not have a fixed address. Being a resident elector is the most common type of eligibility.
  2. As a non-resident elector if you own or rent property in a municipality, but it’s not the one where you live. You can only be a resident elector in 1 municipality. However, you can be a non-resident elector in any other municipality (or municipalities) where you own or rent property.
  3. As the spouse of a non-resident elector if your spouse owns or rents property in the municipality or municipalities other than the one where you live.
  4. Neither you nor your spouse qualify as a non-resident elector if you do not personally own or rent the property in the municipality. For example, if the property is owned by your business or your cottage is owned by a trust, you would not qualify as a non-resident elector.

Students

There is a special rule for students who may be living away from home while they attend school. If you are a student and consider your “home” to be the place where you live when you are not attending school (i.e. you plan on returning there), then you are eligible to vote in both your “home” municipality and in the municipality where you currently live while attending school.

Voting in more than 1 municipality

If you qualify to vote in more than one municipality, you can vote in all of those municipal elections. For example, if you qualify as a resident elector in 1 municipality, and a non-resident elector in 3 other municipalities, you can vote in all 4 of those municipal elections.

The exception to this rule is if 2 or more of the municipalities are in the same region.

Examples of voting once within the same region

In Peel Region, electors are eligible to vote only once for Peel regional chair, even if they are eligible to vote in more than 1 of the lower tier municipalities that make up the region. Once they have cast a vote for regional chair, electors must leave that part of the ballot blank in any of the other lower tier municipalities where they choose to vote.

In Niagara Region, electors vote only once for the office of regional chair, and for regional councillors who don’t sit on any local municipal council. An elector who qualifies to vote in 2 or more municipalities in Niagara Region can only vote for regional chair and regional councillor in 1 municipality. If they vote in a second municipality, they must leave the regional chair and regional councillor portions of the ballot blank.

Wards

If your municipality has wards, you must vote in the ward where you live. If you are also the owner or tenant of a property in another ward, you are not permitted to vote in that ward instead.

If you are a non-resident elector, and you own or rent properties in more than 1 ward in the municipality, you must choose only 1 ward to vote in. Make sure that you are on the voters’ list for that qualifying address.

Click here to visit the 2018 Voters’ Guide for Ontario Municipal council and school board elections.

When?

 

Municipal elections will take place on October 22, 2018 or you can vote at an Advance Voting Location on-campus and throughout your city depending on availability.

Where can I vote?

Brock University - The City of St. Catharines

For a detailed list of advanced polling locations, please visit the website here. Students will be able to vote in advance on Wednesday, October 3 from 10am to 8pm on-campus at Guernsey Marketing (1812 Sir. Issac Brock Way).

 

Laurentian University - The City of Sudbury

Online voting will be available from October 15 to October 22.

For those who wish to vote in person, Electronic Voting Locations will be available on Election Day. For the full list of Electronic Voting Locations, please visit the website here.

 

McMaster University - The City of Hamilton

To view the full list of where and when to vote please visit the City of Hamilton website and input your address here.

 

Trent University Durham - The City of Oshawa

To view the full list of voting stations and advanced polling locations in Oshawa, please visit the website here.

 

Western University - The City of London

Advanced polling will occur on October 4, in the UCC Basement. Visit westernvotes.ca to find a proof of residency document for students to take to polls with a valid ID. Other advanced polling locations in London can be found here.

 

Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford Campus - The City of Brantford

Advanced polling will occur on October 9-13, 2018 from 10am to 6pm at the Brantford Civic Centre (69 Marketing Street South) or Branlyn Community School (238 Brantwood Park Road). For more information please visit the website here.

Online voting will be available from October 1 at 10am through to October 22 at 8pm.

For the full list of polling locations please visit BrantfordVotes here.

 

Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo Campus and the University of Waterloo - The City of Waterloo

Please visit the City of Waterloo website here to find out where you can vote on voting day and in the advanced polls. On-campus voting will be available in the Concourse at Wilfrid Laurier University or at the Davis Centre at the University of Waterloo.

 

Queen’s University - The City of Kingston

Advanced polling will take place on Saturday, October 13. For a full list of locations for advance polls and Election Day, please visit the City of Kingston website.

Why?

…should I vote in the Municipal election?

Municipalities include issues concerns affecting students including:

  • Local transit
  • Parks
  • Student housing
  • Noise By-Laws
  • Snow shoveling
  • Local policing
  • Economic development and job creation for students
  • Recreation
  • Pedestrian safety

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more detailed information, please visit: http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page18734.aspx#eligibility.

Click here for the full Voters’ Guide to Ontario Municipal elections.

To learn more about voting in the municipal elections by city, please visit:

Resources:

Created with NationBuilder.