Who will get a Voter Instruction Letter (VIL) with a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to vote in the election?
All qualified electors on the official Municipal Elector’s List provided by the municipality will receive a VIL in the mail before the first voting day.
What if my name is not on the Elector List?
The official Elector List for Municipal and School Board Elections is maintained by Elections Ontario and anyone can check to see if they are on the list, or update their information, by visiting the Elections Ontario website Voter Registration page at https://vreg.registertovoteon.ca/.
Once this list is delivered to the Municipality, typically by mid-August in the year of the election, you should check with the Municipality to see if you are on the list. ou can call the municipality, and they can check to see if you are on the list, and some municipalities have on their website, a section that allows you to check to see if your name is on the list they currently have.
Once the election period has started, eligible electors who are not on the official Elector List will have to go to a location designated by the Election Official and complete the required form to have their name added to the Elector List. Once this is completed you will be given a VIL by the Election Official.
When should I expect to receive my Personal Identification Number (PIN) in the mail?
Individual PINs will be mailed to eligible electors to arrive approximately seven (7) days prior to the first voting day.
What if I do not get a PIN in the mail by Election Day?
If you are an eligible elector and on the official Elector List, but you did not get a PIN in the mail by the start of the election period, you can request a replacement PIN. A replacement PIN will be issued to you if the original PIN has not been voted and you provide appropriate identification.
Why would I not get a PIN in the mail?
If you did not get a PIN in the mail, one of two things may have happened. First, your name was not on the official Elector List. PINs are only mailed to electors whose names appear on the official Elector List as supplied by the municipality. Secondly, a PIN may have been mailed to you, and it has been delayed for some reason in the mail system.
Can anyone tell how I voted if they know my PIN?
No. The system does not track how a particular PIN has voted, only that the PIN has been used to cast a vote.
Once I have my PIN, do I have to register in advance if I want to use either the telephone or the Internet to cast my vote?
No, there is no registration required. During the election period, using your PIN, you can use either the telephone or the Internet to cast your vote.
What if I lose or misplace my PIN?
If an elector loses or misplaces their PIN, they should contact the Voter HelpLine. The Election Official can decide to replace the missing PIN if it has not already been voted. They will determine if an elector has to travel to a location, sign a form, and then replace the missing PIN, or they can decide to allow the Voter HelpLine agent to authenticate the caller and issue a replacement PIN over the phone. In both cases, the original lost or missing PIN will be disabled, and it will not be able to be voted in the election.
How do I access the voting system?
Voting instructions will be included in the Voter Instruction letter mailed to each eligible elector on the official Elector List. Included in this information are instructions on how to access the voting system. Electors can cast their ballot using any telephone to call a toll-free number. Electors can use any web-enabled device (computer, mobile phone, etc.) to visit a website that will allow them entry into the voting system where they can cast their vote.
What happens if I am interrupted while voting on the telephone for some reason or if I am voting using the Internet and must leave my session?
If interrupted or lose a connection, you can disconnect from the Internet or the telephone and re-connect later. You can re-enter your PIN and any other credentials required and complete your voting activity at that time. In fact, if you find it more convenient, you can switch from one method to the other and complete your voting using the other method. For example, you can start your voting on the Internet and at some point, close your Internet session and then later re-start the voting process and re-enter your PIN and any other credentials required using your phone or cell phone and cast your vote.
What happens if I access the voting system and am presented with incorrect candidates for my District or Ward?
The list of candidates presented to you as an elector is determined by your place of residence as defined on the Elector List. If you have moved and your new address was not updated on the Elector List, (and your Voter Instruction letter and PIN were forwarded to your new address), then you will see the list of candidates associated with your old place of residence. First, exit the system without voting the race for the incorrect candidates. You should call the Voter HelpLine, and the Election Official will authenticate you and, if satisfied, can then electronically “re-categorize” the PIN. The correct list of candidates will be presented to you once you re-connect to the voting system.
What do I do if I am not sure if I completed a ballot?
During the voting period you can connect to the voting system and enter your PIN. If you have not completed voting, you will be presented with the ballot(s) again. When you have completed voting all ballots assigned to you, entering your PIN online or over the telephone again, and any other credentials required in the voting system during the voting period, will display or read a message containing your vote status. This message will advise if you have completed voting. You can also contact the Voter HelpLine to get more information.
If I am using the telephone to vote, how will I know what number to press to vote for the candidate of my choice, or what if I make a mistake and select a different candidate than the one I want to vote for?
The Voter Instruction letter mailed to you has the list of candidates included on it for your reference purpose. In addition, each time the system presents you with a race to vote for, it lists the eligible candidates running for that position and instructs you to select the corresponding number for that candidate. You may also clear your ballot selections and start over.
Once a vote has been confirmed, can it be changed?
No. Once a vote has been confirmed it cannot be changed. This process is the same as dropping the ballot into the ballot box in a traditional paper-based election ensuring complete elector anonymity and secrecy of ballot. The system does not know how the ballot was voted; only that the PIN was used in the election to cast a vote and thus it cannot be removed from the vote count.
How do I vote if I am away from home, out of town, out of the province, or out of the country?
You can vote during the election voting period using the Internet from anywhere in the world. You can also use telephone service and connect to the voting system toll free from anywhere in North America simply by dialing the toll-free number contained in your Voter Instruction letter.
What if I have a rotary phone at home, no cell phone and don’t have a computer with Internet service. How can I vote?
You do not have to vote from home. You can vote from any location using any phone with touch tone service or from any computer. You can also vote in person at a Voter Assistance Centre if the municipality is offering PC’s and phones at these locations. The location of the Voter Assistance Centre(s) can be found in the Voter Instruction letters sent to eligible electors.
If someone calls me and asks for my PIN, what should I do?
You should treat your voting PIN with the same level of secrecy and confidentially you reserve for your bank card and PIN. Do not give your PIN to anyone who may call or approach you for the number.
What do I do if the phone line is busy when I call and try to vote?
If the phone lines are busy, simply hang up and call back a short time later. The voting system can handle a significant volume of calls simultaneously but there is always the possibility that many electors are attempting to call in the same timeframe. Electors will be able to connect to the system over the course of several days during the voting period.
Could someone steal my PIN and vote it?
Stealing or opening another person’s mail is illegal. It is also illegal to represent yourself as another person and steal their right to vote in an election. Both these acts have stiff penalties defined by law.
If you know someone has voted your PIN illegally you should report it to the Election Official. You may be able to obtain a replacement PIN to cast your vote by presenting yourself to the Election Official and swearing an affidavit that the PIN assigned to you was not voted by you, but by someone else.
If I am an elector with a disability; deafness, blindness, or a mobility disability, can someone help me with the voting process?
Electronic voting allows increased right of privacy to electors with physical challenges that make traditional voting at polling stations more difficult. Blind electors can make use of the telephone and deaf electors can use the Internet to vote with little or no assistance required from others. If you need assistance at the Voter Assistance Centre to cast your vote, the Election Official present will be able to assist you.
Would it be possible for me to be sent more than one PIN?
If you received more than one PIN, it is because your name appeared on the Elector List more than once. This rare situation might occur if you changed your place of residence and have been enumerated in both locations or own property and are the registered resident at both locations. You are only permitted to vote once in a municipality, and you should only cast a vote using the PIN associated with your primary place of residence. Notify the Election Official of the additional PIN and they will disable this PIN rendering it unusable for the election.
