Voters
How to vote - booklet
The 'How to Vote' booklet is a summary of voter qualifications, identification (ID) requirements, the voting process, how mark your ballot, oaths that one may be required to take, and fines for illegal voting or falsifying voter information. The booklet is translated in 22 languages below and also available in Braille at each voting place when you go to vote.
If you require assistance in a language that is not listed here, please call 311 for greater access to over-the-phone interpretation in more than 180 languages.
How to Vote - English
The 'How to Vote' booklet has been provided to assist election officials when communicating with a voter who has difficulty understanding English.
How to vote
If you require an interpreter to assist you in understanding the voting process and the questions being asked of you, you may ask anyone who is not a candidate or a scrutineer to act as an interpreter for you.
You can vote if you are:
- A Canadian
- At least 18 years old
- Live in the City of Toronto or own or rent property in Toronto or are the spouse of a person who owns or rents property in Toronto.
- You need to show identification (see the following page for a list of acceptable identification).
- One piece showing your name, Toronto address and signature.
OR - Two pieces of identification; one piece showing your name and signature and the second piece showing your name and Toronto address.
- One piece showing your name, Toronto address and signature.
- The ballot officer will check that your name is on the voters' list.
- If you are on the voters' list and do not have identification you must sign a Declaration of Identity form swearing that you are the elector shown on the voters' list.
- If you are not on the voters' list and do not have identification you cannot be added to the list and issued a ballot.
- Once you have been given a ballot go to one of the voting screens.
- Remove the ballot from the secrecy folder.
- Using the pen provided, vote by completing the arrow pointing to the candidate of your choice.
- You can vote for ONE candidate for Mayor.
- You can vote for ONE candidate for Councillor.
- You can vote for ONE candidate for School Trustee if you or your spouse are a resident of the City of Toronto or a non-resident owner or tenant of residentially assessed land in the City.
- If you make a mistake while voting or you change your mind, return the ballot to the election official and ask for a new ballot.
- Once you have finished voting, put the ballot back into the secrecy folder and take it along with this booklet to the election official at the vote tabulator.
- Please wait until your ballot has been accepted by the vote tabulator before leaving the voting place.
- Remember - you may only vote once in the City of Toronto.
Oaths
If you require an interpreter to assist you in understanding the voting process and the questions being asked of you, you may ask anyone who is not a candidate or a scrutineer to act as an interpreter for you.
Qualification
If someone questions your right to vote, you must swear an oath of qualification (Oath No. 1).
Oath No. 1 - Oath of Qualification
I, (state your name), have read and understand the requirements of a qualified voter in this election, and declare that I am a qualified voter and declare I have not already voted in this election.
Use of an interpreter
You must swear an oath that you require assistance (Oath No. 2) and they must swear an oath before providing assistance (Oath No. 3). They may not go behind the voting screen with you.
Oath No. 2 - Voter Needs Assistance
I, (state your name), a voter qualified to vote in this election, declare I require assistance to vote.
Oath No. 3 - Oath of Interpreter
I, (state your name), declare I will honestly translate any oaths, questions and answers between the election officials and the voter I am assisting.
Assistance from a friend
If a voter cannot mark a ballot themselves and needs assistance they may ask a friend to assist them in marking their ballot.
You must swear an oath that you require assistance (Oath No. 2) and the friend must swear an oath before providing assistance (Oath No.4).The person acting as a friend may go to the voting screen area with the voter. A person may act as a friend only once, except in nursing homes.
Oath No. 4 - Oath of a Friend
I, (state your name), declare I will provide assistance to the voter, including the marking of the ballot as directed by the voter I am assisting if necessary, and will keep secret the vote of the voter I am assisting.
A person is guilty of an offence and liable, upon conviction, to a fine not more than $25,000, and/or imprisonment up to six months if he or she:
- Votes without being entitled to;
- Votes more than once in the City of Toronto;
- Votes in a voting place in which he or she is not entitled to vote;
- Induces a person to vote when that person is not entitled to; or
- Furnishes false or misleading information to an election official.
Identification
There are new identification (ID) requirements that an eligible elector needs to be aware about in order to receive a ballot and being able to vote in the 2010 Toronto Election.
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