Election Accessibility Plan

Consultation

The City is conducting consultations with individuals and groups who are knowledgeable in providing services to persons with disabilities. The following actions are planned:

• Delivering information and engaging with members of the Election Accessibility Outreach Network and the broader outreach network on matters such as the Elections Accessibility Plan, accessible customer service, assistive devices, and voting options.
• Hosting special consultations as needed to advance accessibility goals.
• Presenting the 2026 Election Accessibility Plan to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee, one of City Council’s advisory committees.
• Posting the 2026 Election Accessibility Plan online for public feedback with contact details for more information.
• Considering new strategies to ensure ease of participation and information-sharing.
• Identifying gaps in outreach network representation and undertaking targeted outreach to new community partners.
• Working with election and governmental partners to share accessibility best practices

Voting Options

The City is making accessible voting equipment, voting options available by:

• Having Voter Assist Terminals (VAT) available during advance vote and on election day.The VAT is a machine that marks paper ballots allowing voters to select the candidate(s) of their choice privately and independently. The features include a touch screen, an audio component, a Braille keypad, a Sip/Puff tube device, a Rocker Paddle and zoom features to adjust font sizes and colour contra Learn more about VATs in Election Videos.
• Welcoming the use of support persons and service animals in voting places. Any person with a disability accompanied by a support person or service animal may enter the City Clerk’s Offices or any voting place.
• Providing assistance to voters with disabilities. A voter can bring a friend or family member to assist them to cast their ballot. When requested, an election official in the voting place can assist a voter in casting their ballot.
• Permitting voting by proxy. In cases where a voter is unable to attend a voting place, the voter can appoint another person to act on their behalf.
• Providing the option of curbside voting. Voters who are physically unable to go inside the voting place can request that the ballot be brought out to their vehicle or to another location within the voting place.
• Offering voting opportunities in institutions and retirement homes.
  • Voting places are established at any institution where 20 or more beds are occupied by persons who are disabled, chronically ill or infirmed and at a retirement home where 50 or more beds are occupied.
  • Administering bedside voting where required.
• Providing a Mail-in Voting program. Toronto Elections offers mail-in voting as an alternative voting option for eligible voters.
  • Eligible voters can submit a request online or by phone and once approved, are mailed a mail-in voting package. Contents include an official ballot and instruction/declaration form. Completed packages are returned by mail before the return deadline with pre-paid postage or by depositing into a secure drop box.
• Providing a Braille Mail-in Voting option. Voters can request a braille mail-in voting package when applying online or by phone.
• Providing a Mail-in Voting program in designated correctional facilities. Toronto Elections offers an alternative voting option to eligible voters on remand through a liaison officer assigned by the correctional facility.
• Making supplies available at voting places that can assist voters with disabilities. Items include but are not limited to magnifying bookmarks, note pads and pens, and How to Vote booklets in multiple languages and Braille.

Communication & Information

The City is providing informative and accessible content on election webpages by:

• Ensuring election information is available online in clear and simple language.
• Continuously updating election information on the election webpages to reflect the most recent developments and information.
• Ensuring all web pages are W3C Consortium WCAG 2.0 Level AA Compliant.
• Continuously monitoring and updating the Accessibility and Voting Options web sections.
• Ensuring the election webpages and MyVote web application include clear links to accessibility information about voting places.
• Ensuring all public-facing election videos have captioning and ASL.

The City is providing election information in alternative formats and through multiple channels by:

• Attending meetings, events and fairs and developing tailored content to raise awareness about the municipal election, accommodations available to voters, and to showcase the voter assist terminal (VAT).
• Working with persons with disabilities, community advocates, and disability service providers to distribute election information to persons with disabilities across Toronto.
• Reviewing existing Outreach Network lists, re-engaging with existing members, and seeking new partnerships with community organizations, service providers and persons with disabilities with the goal of broadening the dissemination of accurate election information.
• Producing material with election information that includes accessibility information and mailing it to every Toronto residence. Posting the same information online.
• Monitoring emerging communication trends and technologies to reach persons with disabilities through non-traditional channels.
• Updating as necessary the ‘How to Vote’ booklet in English and additional languages including Braille and making it available at all voting places.

Recruitment

The City is cultivating an inclusive workforce reflective of Toronto when hiring for election roles by:

• Actively promoting election role opportunities to persons with disabilities and organizations serving people with disabilities.
• Enhancing the current online recruitment system to allow all applicants to identify specific accommodation requests early in the application process.
• Offering work locations that can address unique needs, where possible.

Voting Places

The City is ensuring all voting places are accessible to voters with disabilities by:

• Updating the accessibility checklist for election officials to use when conducting site visits of each voting place.
• Inspecting all voting places to ensure all locations are accessible.
  • Where possible, making modifications to existing voting places to make them accessible, for example by installing temporary ramps.
  • Places that cannot be made accessible will be relocated or merged with other voting places in the vicinity.
  • Conducting an additional accessibility check in August/September to ensure there have been no changes.
  • Having election officials perform final accessibility checks during the advance vote period and on election day to verify the accessibility of the voting place.
• Providing an opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the list of proposed voting places:
  • Posting a tentative list of voting places on the election webpage.
  • Inviting individuals with disabilities to provide feedback on the tentative list of voting places.
  • Using the received feedback to ensure that all voting places are accessible.
• Ensuring all voting place access routes and entrances are clearly identified:
  • Providing appropriate signage at voting places.
  • Ensuring voters with accessibility needs are directed to the accessible voting entrance by prominent signage.
  • Where possible, making the accessible entrance the same as the preferred entrance.
• Having Access Officers available to mitigate voting place accessibility issues by performing the following roles when needed.
  • Helping open doors without automated power door openers.
  • Operating elevators or lifts.
  • Directing voters to the accessible entrance if it is different from the main entrance.
• Ensuring all voting place owners and managers are aware of accessibility requirements by notifying facility owners and managers of legislative accessibility requirements to prevent last minute changes to voting rooms.
• Communicating service disruptions or last-minute changes that affect the accessibility of voting places during advance vote or on election day in real time
  • on the City’s website and social media channels;
  • at the site of the disruption; and
  • when applicable, a media advisory will be issued.

Candidate Information

The City is providing information to support accessible campaigning by:

• Providing candidates with resources such as the ‘Candidates Guide to Accessible Elections’ produced by AMCTO.
• Incorporating accessibility information and messaging into Candidate Information Sessions.

The City is ensuring accessibility for candidates with disabilities by:

• Reviewing and updating the candidate application tools to ensure greater ease of access.
• Making the candidate’s guide and/or other relevant publications available in accessible formats.
• Providing the City of Toronto voters’ list available in an electronic, accessible format, free of charge, to all candidates.
• Holding candidate information sessions in accessible locations or virtually and offering an accommodation statement in the invitations to ensure attendees are aware that accommodations are available upon request.

Customer Service

The City is providing accessible customer service by:

• Training all voting place election officials in accessible customer service.
  • Providing guidance on assisting people with disabilities in the voting place and the availability of voting options, accommodations, and special services.
  • Hosting mandatory online and in-person training sessions.
• Developing training and on-the-job reference materials for all voting place election officials, in consultation with accessibility network representatives, that include:
  • job aids, classroom training, and web-based modules highlighting the importance of assisting all individuals in a manner that is fair and accessible,
  • AODA-focussed accessible customer service standards and how to effectively serve voters with disabilities; and
  • explanations of standard accessibility features and how to use them.
• Offering a dedicated channel to communicate accessibility questions or concerns:
  • Phone: 416-338-1111 (press 6)
  • Email: AccessibleElections@toronto.ca
  • Fax: 416-395-1300
  • TTY: Use 711
• Reviewing and updating accessibility information and relevant procedures in the 311 knowledge base. In 2026, 311 contact centre staff will be the first point of contact for residents and will be provided election training including info on accessibility.

Policy on Providing Services to People with Disabilities

The City Clerk’s Office is committed to making our services accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities. We comply with the customer service standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

In fulfilling our mission, the City Clerk’s Office will provide its services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We strive to provide people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our services in the same place, and in a similar way as others.

Read the Providing Services to People with Disabilities policy.

Key Considerations

• Policies and procedures must be consistent with the principles of the Municipal Elections Act, and must respect the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
• Access to voting services must be integrated and equitable.
• Initiatives should address and take into account a wide range of abilities.
• The guidelines established in the City Clerk’s Office's Customer Service Policy for Providing Services to People with Disabilities must be followed throughout.

Requirements under the Municipal Elections Act

The City Clerk is responsible for conducting municipal elections and establishing policies and procedures to ensure that all voters have the opportunity to fully participate in the 2026 City of Toronto municipal election.

More specifically, the Municipal Elections Act states the following:

12.1 (1) A clerk who is responsible for conducting an election shall have regard to the needs of electors and candidates with disabilities.

12 (2) The clerk shall prepare a plan regarding the identification, removal and prevention of barriers that affect electors and candidates with disabilities and shall make the plan available to the public before voting day in a regular election. 2016, c. 15, s. 11.

12 (3) Within 90 days after voting day in a regular election, the clerk shall prepare a report about the identification, removal and prevention of barriers that affect electors and candidates with disabilities and shall make the report available to the public. 2016, c. 15, s. 11.

41 (3) The clerk shall make such changes to some or all of the ballots as he or she considers necessary or desirable to allow electors with visual impairments to vote without the assistance referred to in paragraph 4 of subsection 52 (1). 1996, c. 32, Sched., s. 41 (3); 2001, c. 32, s. 30 (1).

45 (2) In establishing the locations of voting places, the clerk shall ensure that each voting place is accessible to electors with disabilities.

Definition of Disability

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 defines “disability” as follows:

1. any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device;
2. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability;
3. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language;
4. a mental disorder; or
5. an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.