It’s Election Day! Get Out There And Vote!

Voting locations across Ontario will be open today from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. (Eastern Time). Electors can find their voting location on their Voter Information Cards (VIC) or online at www.elections.on.ca, by simply entering their postal code.

For 2018, Elections Ontario has modernized the election process for the general election by introducing technology. Today, 50% of the polls will have vote tabulators, and e-Poll books will serve 90% of electors, as they vote on election day.

E-Poll books make it easier and faster for an elector to get a ballot. Election officials will use e-Poll books to strike voters’ names from the voters list before providing them with their ballot. Voters will then cast their ballot using vote tabulators, delivering faster and improved service to Ontario’s electors.

“Polls opened this morning for Ontario’s transformative 42nd general election. We are using technology in the polls to make voting even easier for electors as we take a measured and principled approach to modernizing our electoral process,” said Greg Essensa, Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer “Electors who bring their voter information card and identification to vote can expect shorter wait times and a better voter experience as a result of the introduction of technology in the polls.”

The number of electoral districts in Ontario has increased from 107 to 124. Some electors may be voting in a different location or electoral district for this election. The VICs have details about when and where to vote, and have been mailed to registered electors. Voters are reminded to bring their VIC and one piece of identification to vote. Voting location information is also available at www.elections.on.ca.

Canadian citizens who reside in Ontario, and are at least 18 years of age, are eligible to vote. Ontario electors can find a list of acceptable identification documents and information about when and where to vote on www.elections.on.ca.

Live unofficial election results will be available after polls have closed at 9:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) at www.elections.on.ca.

The publication of election surveys that have not previously been made public is prohibited until 9:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) today.

There is also a blackout on political advertising until 11:59 P.M. (Eastern Time) today.

Ontario’s election law allows voters to decline their ballot. To decline your ballot, just tell the election official you are declining your right to vote when handed a ballot. This is a public process, and is done out loud. The election official will mark declined on the election documentation and your ballot be placed in an envelope for declined ballots. They will be counted and reported after the polls close on election night and included in the official results as “declined ballots”.