Who Can Vote?
Who Can Vote In Elections?
Anyone can vote in a municipal election who, on the day of the election, is:
- 18 years of age or older
- a Canadian citizen; and
- either a resident of the municipality or a property owner or tenant or the spouse or same sex partner of an owner or tenant in the municipality during a specified time just before the election.
Your name must be on the voters’ list in order for you to cast a ballot.
The voters’ list is prepared in several steps:
- A preliminary list is created by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) based on data it keeps on home ownership and tenancy.
- The preliminary list is sent to the municipal clerk after a by-election has been called or in advance of a regular election which occurs every 4 years. The clerk can correct any errors on the list, and the corrected list then becomes the voters’ list.
- If you are not on the voters’ list, or if your information is incorrect (for example, you have moved and may be listed at a former address), you may apply to have your name added or your information corrected. This may be done until the close of voting on voting day in a regular election or by-election. You may have your name added to the voters’ list at the voting place. You may be asked to show identification to establish that you are eligible to vote. For more information about getting on the voters’ list, you should contact your municipal clerk.