Lesson 7: The Voting Process

1. Lesson 7: The Voting Process

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

3. 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.

4. Where do I vote? • Each electoral district is divided into several smaller geographic areas. • Eligible voters living within each area, vote at the voting location designated for their area.

5. What is the process for voting? • Once you confirm you are able to vote, 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.

6. 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.

7. Rejected Ballots • A rejected ballot isa ballot that cannot be counted because the voter’s choice is not clear. • For example, your ballot is rejected if you try to vote for more than one candidate.

8. Declined and Cancelled 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.

9. 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.

10. Final Thoughts • How will you prepare to vote? • How do you know if you are ready to vote? • How can you encourage grown-ups that you know to cast their ballot?