Are you on the list to vote for the upcoming municipal election?

If you are an Ontario resident over the age of 18 you can visit www.voterlookup.ca to confirm or update your information in a few easy steps. You can also change your school support for electoral purposes and add names to your property address.

Updating this information will help to ensure that municipal Voters’ Lists are accurate and up-to-date in preparation for municipal and school board elections taking place on October 22, 2018.

Find out ahead of time if you are eligible to vote. Visit www.voterlookup.ca or call 1-866-296-6722. Have your say. Log on today.

Who Can Vote?

A person is entitled to vote in a municipal election if they on Voting Day:

• Resides in the local municipality, or is the owner or tenant of land in the municipality, or the spouse of such owner or tenant; and
•  Is a Canadian citizen, and
•  Is at least 18 years old, and
•  Is not prohibited from voting under the Municipal Elections Act or otherwise prohibited by law.

Resident Elector

A resident elector is where a person lives and is eligible to vote in that municipality’s election. A person is only allowed to have one residence.

A person’s residence is the permanent lodging place to which, whenever absent, he or she intends to return.

The following rules apply in determining a person’s residence:

1. A person may only have one residence at a time;
2. The place where a person’s family resides is also his or her residence, unless    he or she moves elsewhere with the intention of changing his or her permanent lodging place;
3. If a person has no other permanent lodging place, the place where he or she occupies a room or part of a room as a regular lodger to which he or she habitually returns is his or her residence.

Non-Resident Elector

If a person lives in one municipality but owns or rents property in another municipality, then they are a non-resident elector and able to vote in that municipality’s election.

Spouse of Non-Resident Elector

If a person lives in one municipality and qualifies as a spouse of a non-resident elector, then they are able to vote in that municipality’s election.

Homeless Persons

Persons without a permanent residence may also qualify to be added to the Voter’s List during the revision period by submitting an application to the Clerk. If a person has no permanent residence or lodging place, the following rules apply in determining his or her residence:

1. The place to which the person most frequently returned to sleep or eat during the five weeks preceding the determination is his or her residence.
2.  If the person returns with equal frequency to one place to sleep and to another to eat, the place to which he or she turns to sleep is his or her residence.
3. Multiple returns to the same place during a single day whether to eat or to sleep shall be considered one return.
4.  A person’s affidavit regarding the places to which he or she returned to eat or sleep during a given time period is conclusive, in the absence of evidence to the contrary.

MPAC is not required to include a homeless person’s name on the Preliminary List of Electors. As homeless persons are entitled to electors, they are also eligible to be candidates provided they meet the citizenship, age requirements or are not otherwise prohibited by law.

Students

A person 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 education institution but not with the intention of changing his or her permanent lodging place and the person’s permanent lodging place is in the other local municipality.

Therefore, students can vote in the municipality where they attend school and they can also vote in the municipality where they live.

Trailer Owners – Campgrounds

Trailer owners in campgrounds are tenants of the campground – therefore, they are potentially eligible electors. Under a timeshare contract, to be eligible, the person must be entitled to use the land on Voting Day or for a period of six weeks or more during the calendar year in which the election is held.

Who Cannot Vote?

The following cannot vote:

• A person who is serving a sentence of imprisonment in penal or correctional institution;
• A corporation;
• A person acting as executor or trustee or in any other representative capacity, except as a voting proxy in accordance with section 44 of the Municipal Elections Act.
•  A person who was convicted of the corrupt practice described in subsection 90(3) if voting day in the current election is less than five years after voting day in the election in respect of which he or she was convicted.

Identification Required to Vote

In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, all eligible electors are required to provide photo identification in order to be issued a ballot at the Voting Stations. To vote, you will need your “Voter Identification Card” (which you will receive in the mail), and in addition acceptable identification.

Your Voter Identification Letter cannot be used as identification, however – it will help speed you through the voting process.

Regulations under the Municipal Elections Act require that you provide:

• One (1) piece of ID with your name and qualifying address – for example your Ontario Driver’s Licence
  

View a full list of identification options.

Voting Methods in the 2018 Municipal Election

In 2018, voters in the Township of Springwater will be able to cast their vote in the municipal election from the comfort of their own home – or anywhere they can access the internet or telephone. In addition to internet and telephone voting, there will be voting locations throughout the Township for those who wish to cast their ballot in person. Voting locations will be listed on your Voter Information Letter and available on the Township website in early fall 2018. Our service provider, Dominion Voting, has created a video to show how to vote by internet:

Options to Cast a Vote Include:

·         Desktop or laptop computer

·         Smart Phone (mobile device)

·         Tablet Device

·         Touch tone phone

Benefits of Internet and Telephone Voting

Accessibility: Whether you are away on personal travel, suffering from illness, working days or nights, have a disability, or just have difficulty travelling, you can cast your ballot from anywhere with an internet connection or touchtone telephone.

Convenience: Remotely cast your vote from anywhere using a computer, smart phone, tablet device, or touchtone phone, 24 hours a day over an extended voting period.

Environmentally-Friendly: Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as voters no longer need to travel to polling locations.

Fast, Reliable, and Secure: The voting process will be serviced by Dominion Voting Systems, who have helped to safely and effectively service many successful internet and telephone elections for Ontario municipalities.

Internet and Telephone Voting

Details on how to vote via internet and telephone will be mailed to all eligible electors during the first week of October, 2018. This Voter Information Letter will include details on when and how to access the internet or telephone voting system. Eligible electors will be able to cast their internet or telephone ballot 24/7, at their convenience starting at 10:00 am on Friday, October 12, 2018. Voting closes at 8:00 pm on Monday, October 22, 2018. Your Voter Information Letter holds important information required to cast their ballot. Lost or stolen Voter Information Letters can be replaced at the Township Administration Centre between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday or at any of the below listed voting locations. Valid identification is required. A list of valid ID is available on the MAH website: http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page18734.aspx#identification

A Voter Help Centre will be available from Monday, October 15 to Friday October 19, 2018 from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM at the Administration Centre 2231 Nursery Rd, Minesing. The Voter Help Centre will have a voting kiosk as well as staff available to assist with any questions. Free internet access is also available at all branches of the Springwater Public Library during regular business hours.

An Electronic Voting Location will be held at Hillsdale Elementary located at 16 Albert St East on Saturday, October 13, 2018 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Here, eligible electors will have the opportunity to cast their ballot via internet voting, be added to the voters list and receive copy of lost or stolen Voter Information Letters.

Voter Information Letters will be required when voting at the Voter Help Centre or the Electronic Voting Location.
A phone-in Voter Help Centre will be available on Saturday October 20 and Sunday October 21, 2018 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM by calling 705-728-4784 Ext. 2028.

Traditional Paper Ballot Voting

Electors may vote with a traditional paper ballot on Election Day Monday, October 22, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM at any of the following locations:
Administration Centre
2231 Nursery Road
Minesing Community Centre
2347 Ronald Road
Springwater Room – Elmvale Community Arena
14 George Street
A poll will be held for the residents of Sara Vista on October 22, 2018. This location will not be publicly available and will only be open for approximately 1 hour to allow the residents the opportunity to vote.

Voter Information Letters

Voter Information Letters will be mailed to all persons eligible to vote in the municipal and school board election at the beginning of October 2018. Voter Information Letters contain important information on how and where to vote and will be required to cast their ballot by internet or telephone. This is why it is important to ensure that information is accurate and up to date. In the coming days, www.springwater.ca/areyouonthelist will be activated for residents to check if they are on the voters list. Candidates will be notified.
If someone does not receive a Voter Information Letter by October 15, 2018 or to replace if lost or stolen, contact the Clerk’s Office at 705-728-4784 ext. 2015 or visit the Administration Centre at 22312 Nursery Rd, Minesing. Acceptable ID must be provided to receive a new or replacement Voter Information Letter.

Additions, deletions or amendments to the Voters List.

Application for additions, deletions or amendments to the Voters List will be accepted starting on September 5, 2018. These will be accepted during business hours up until the close of nominations (8pm on October 22, 2018). Further details regarding changes to the Voters List will be provided in a subsequent memo.
All of the above information is available at:

http://www.springwater.ca/Election2018/voter_Information

Re-Elect Bill French for Mayor on October 22

Talk is Good, but Action Speaks