Advance Polls
Advance Vote Days will also take place on Friday, October 7 and Friday, October 14. Voting Day is Monday, October 24.
On these days, electors can vote at their assigned voting place. Voting places are open from 10 am to 8 pm with the exception of long-term care centres and retirement homes which may have reduced hours. Electors can verify when and where they can vote on their voter notification letter or by using the Where Do I Vote?(link is external) Tool on ottawa.ca/vote.
Electors who are unable to make it to a voting place on voting days can appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf. To learn more about appointing a proxy, visit ottawa.ca/vote.
What do I need when I go vote?
All electors will be required to present a piece of identification in order to receive a ballot at their voting place. The identification must show your name and address and photo identification is not required.
If you cannot present an acceptable proof of identity and residence will be required to make a statutory declaration prior to being issued a ballot.
You may present one of the following as a piece of personal identification:
- An Ontario driver’s license.
- An Ontario Health Card (photo card).
- An Ontario Photo Card.
- An Ontario motor vehicle permit (vehicle portion).
- A cancelled personalized cheque.
- A mortgage statement, lease or rental agreement relating to property in Ontario.
- An insurance policy or insurance statement.
- A loan agreement or other financial agreement with a financial institution.
- A document issued or certified by a court in Ontario.
- Any other document from the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or from an agency of such a government.
- Any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada).
- An income tax assessment notice.
- A Child Tax Benefit Statement.
- A Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid T4E.
- A Statement of Old Age Security T4A (OAS).
- A Statement of Canada Pension Plan Benefits T4A (P).
- A Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions.
- A Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Works.
- A Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Disability Support Program.
- A Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Statement of Benefits T5007.
- A property tax assessment.
- A credit card statement, bank account statement, or RRSP, RRIF, RHOSP or T5 statement.
- A CNIB Card or a card from another registered charitable organization that provides services to persons with disabilities.
- A hospital card or record.
- A document showing campus residence, issued by the office or officials responsible for student residence at a post-secondary institution.
- A document showing residence at a long-term care home under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, issued by the Administrator for the home.
- A utility bill for hydro, water, gas, telephone or cable TV or a bill from a public utilities commission.
- A cheque stub, T4 statement or pay receipt issued by an employer.
- A transcript or report card from a post-secondary school.
Note: A voter notification letter and a Canadian passport cannot be used as a piece of identification.
Voting for students
An eligible elector may have residences in two local municipalities at the same time if:
- the person lives in one of the local municipalities in order to attend an educational institution, but not with the intention of changing their permanent lodging place; and
- the person’s permanent lodging place is in the other local municipality.
In this scenario, the elector is eligible to vote in both their "home" municipality and in the municipality where they currently live while attending school.
Voters with no address or permanent lodging place
Eligible electors with no address or permanent lodging place can participate in voting opportunities by determining their residence by:
- The place to which the person most frequently returned to sleep or eat during the five weeks preceding the determination is their residence.
- If the person returns with equal frequency to one place to sleep and to another to eat, the place to which they return to sleep is their residence.
- Multiple returns to the same place during a single day, whether to eat or to sleep, shall be considered one return.
- A person’s declaration regarding the places to which they returned to eat or sleep during a given time period is conclusive, in the absence of evidence to the contrary.
