Lesson 7: The Voting Process

Who is eligible to vote? To be eligible to vote in Ontario provincial elections, you must: Be a Canadian citizen, Be at least 18 years of age on election day, Reside in an electoral district in Ontario.

What do I need in order to vote? If you are qualified to vote and your name is on the voters list, you will be mailed a Notice of Registration card that has information on where and when you can vote on election day or in advance polls. If you don’t have a Notice of Registration card, you need to bring identification that proves your name and address.

Where do I vote? Each electoral district is divided into defined geographic areas. Eligible voters residing within each area vote at the voting location designated for their area.

What is the process for voting? Once you confirm your eligibility, you are given a ballot that has the poll official’s initials on the back. Go behind a voting screen to mark your ballot. Choose only one candidate on the ballot. Hand your folded ballot back to the poll official to check for the initials. Place your folded ballot in the ballot box.

How do I mark my ballot? A ballot lists the names of the candidates running in your electoral district and the political party they belong to. Voting is done by secret ballot. No one except the voter knows the choice that was made. The voter must clearly mark the ballot for only one candidate (e.g., checkmark, x, shading in) for it to be accepted.

Rejected Ballots A rejected ballot is a ballot that cannot be counted due to a deliberate or accidental unrecognizable choice. For example, your ballot is rejected if you try to vote for more than one candidate.

Other Types of Ballots A voter may also choose to use their vote to express their dissatisfaction with the options given. After receiving their ballot, the voter returns it to the polling official without making a mark. This is called a declined ballot. A cancelled ballot is a ballot that was mistakenly marked or torn and exchanged for a new ballot. An unmarked ballot is a ballot deposited in the ballot box that is unmarked by the voter on the front or back.

What are Advance Polls? Electors who are away, too busy or unable to vote on election day have the option of participating in Advance Polls. Advance Polls are held prior to election day.

Final Thoughts How will you prepare to vote? How do you know if you are ready to vote? How can you encourage eligible voters that you know to cast their ballot?