With the Oct. 24 civic election fast approaching, it’s worth taking note of how to cast your ballot.
First, prospective voters should consider whether they fit the eligibility criteria:
- Are a resident in the local municipality or are the owner or tenant of land there, or the spouse of such owner or tenant
- Are a Canadian citizen
- Are at least 18 years old
- Are not prohibited from voting under subsection 17 (3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 or otherwise by law
Those prohibited from voting include inmates, a corporation, a person acting as an executor or trustee in any other representative capacity and those convicted of corruption within the last five years, as described in the Municipal Elections Act.
For eligible voters, the first major hurdle will be determining which candidates they want to vote for, which is a gap Baytoday has been striving to fill throughout the election cycle and beyond with our news coverage.
A full list of candidates and their corresponding websites and contact information can be found by clicking here. The list includes three mayoral candidates and numerous council and school board trustee hopefuls.
Voters are also encouraged by the city to make sure their information is accurate on the voters’ list, although it’s not necessary to do so in advance of voting and can be done when you cast your physical ballot.
Ensuring your information is accurate early helps speed up the process on election day. Plus, the information needs to be accurate in order to take part in electronic voting, which will be made available from 10 a.m. on Oct. 14 to when polls close at 8 p.m. on Oct. 24. Electronic voting can be done on any computer, tablet or smartphone.
Eligible voters may vote online (October 13, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. through to October 24, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.) or in person (paper ballot only) at one of the Super Polls on Election Day (October 24, 2022).
You can check to make sure your information on the voters’ list is accurate by clicking here.
In Person (Paper Ballots Only)
Advanced Polls - Vote at ANY of these locations:
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 from 10:00am to 7:00pm - West Ferris Arena (47 Gertrude St. E.)
Friday, October 14, 2022 from 10:00am to 3:00pm - Castle Arms II (480 Olive St.)
Monday, October 17, 2022 from 10:00am to 7:00pm - Memorial Gardens (100 Chippewa St. W.)
Election Day Super Polls - Vote at ANY of these locations:
Monday, October 24, 2022 from 10:00am to 8:00pm - Memorial Gardens (100 Chippewa St. W.)
Monday, October 24, 2022 from 10:00am to 8:00pm - West Ferris Arena (47 Gertrude St. E.)
Monday, October 24, 2022 from 10:00am to 8:00pm - Davedi Club (313 Airport Rd.)
Monday, October 24, 2022 from 10:00am to 8:00pm - Canadore College (Commerce Court) (60 Commerce Crt.)
Monday, October 24, 2022 from 10:00am to 8:00pm - Vincent Massey School (Annex) (15 Janey Ave.)
*there will be computers available for online voting only at City Hall, Main Floor Lobby (200 McIntyre St. E.) on the following dates:
Thursday, October 13, 2022 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Friday, October 14, 2022 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Monday, October 17, 2022 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Tuesday, October 18, 2022 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Thursday, October 20, 2022 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Friday, October 21, 2022 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Please bring your Voter Information Letter with you to vote.
Online Voting/In-Person Voting
Once you receive your Voter Letter in the mail you can vote on-line at your convenience between October 13, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. until October 24, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
Voting via the Internet takes about 5 minutes.
Typical steps when voting online are as follows:
- Visit the voting website provided in your Voter Letter by entering the web address into the address bar at the top of your internet browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
- Enter the last 8 digits of your Voter ID number located on the Voter Letter
- Enter your PIN located on the Voter Letter
- Enter your year of birth
- Enter the Captcha challenge (distorted letters and numbers) as shown on the screen
- Follow the prompts through all contests, and complete your ballot by pressing 'Cast Ballot'
If you receive an error after several attempts to login, this may be because your birthdate information is incorrect in the Voting System (information supplied by MPAC). You will need a new PIN. Please contact the City Clerk's Office 705-474-0400.
If you did not receive your Voter Letter in the mail by October 11, 2022, you will be able to obtain your Voter Letter from the City Clerk's Office at City Hall.
Want to ensure your vote counted? You can try voting again with the same PIN and Voter ID, and if you are blocked from doing so, then you know your vote counted.
On Election Day (October 24, 2022) you can attend in-person to cast your vote by way of paper ballot only at any one of the five Super Polls listed below between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to cast your ballot.
