Who is eligible to vote in a municipal elections? 

Anyone can vote in a municipal election who, on the day of the election, is:

• 18 years of age or older;
• a Canadian citizen; and
• You qualify to vote in the Township of Rideau Lakes

There are 3 ways that you can qualify to vote in a municipality:

• As a resident elector if you live in the municipality. You may own,
  rent, live in shared accommodation where you do not pay rent or live
  in the municipality but do not have a fixed address. Being a resident
  elector is the most common type of eligibility.
• As a non-resident elector if you own or rent property in a
  municipality, but it’s not the one where you live. You can only be a
  resident elector in 1 municipality. However, you can be a non-resident
  elector in any other municipality (or municipalities) where you own or
  rent property. 
• As the spouse of a non-resident elector if your spouse owns or
  rents property in the municipality or municipalities other than the one
  where you live. If your spouse qualifies as a non-resident elector in a municipality,
  then you can also vote in that municipality’s election.
  Neither you nor your spouse qualify as a non-resident elector if you do not personally own or rent the property in the municipality. For example, if the property is owned by your business or your cottage is owned by a trust, you would not qualify as a non-resident elector.

Students

There is a special rule for students who may be living away from home while they attend school. If you are a student and consider your "home" to be the place where you live when you are not attending school (i.e. you plan on returning there), then you are eligible to vote in both your “home” municipality and in the municipality where you currently live while attending school.

Voting in more than 1 Municipality

If you qualify to vote in more than one municipality, you can vote in all of those municipal elections. For example, if you qualify as a resident elector in 1 municipality, and a non-resident elector in 3 other municipalities, you can vote in all 4 of those municipal elections.

Wards
Rideau Lakes is comprised of 4 Wards. You must vote in the Ward where you live.
If you are also the owner or tenant of a property in another ward, you are not permitted to vote in that Ward instead.

Make sure that you are on the voters’ list for that qualifying address.

Your name must be on the voters’ list in order for you to cast a ballot.

Who is not eligible to vote in a municipal elections? 

• A person who is serving a sentence of imprisonment in a 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) of the Municipal Elections Act(External link), 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.

Who is eligible to vote in a school board election?

An individual is elgible to vote in a school board election if they are:

• a Canadian citizen;
• at least 18 years old on Voting Day;
• a resident of the Township of Rideau Lakes or the owner or tenant of residential land in the Township of Rideau Lakes or are the spouse of such owner or tenant

If you are eligible to vote in a municipality because you are the owner or tenant (or spouse of an owner or tenant) of commercial property, you are not eligible to vote for a school trustee.

To determine which school board an individual is eligible to vote for, the following criteria is used:

• English language public school board - This is the default - unless you are qualified to vote for a separate or French board, you will vote for the English public school board in your area.
• English language separate school board - You must be Roman Catholic and you must be a separate school board supporter or the spouse of a separate school board supporter. If your spouse is a Roman Catholic and you are not, you are not eligible.
• French language public school board - You must be a French language rights holder and you must be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter) of the French language public school board.
• French language separate school board - You must be a Roman Catholic and a French language rights holder and you must be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter) of the French separate school board. If your spouse is a Roman Catholic and you are not, you are not eligible.

"Supporter" refers to which school board the school portion of your property taxes goes to. The default is the public school system. In order to be a separate school supporter you must direct your taxes to the separate school system. Contact the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (External link) (1-866-296-6722) for more information.

As a Canadian citizen, voting is your right and responsibility. Your community is shaped by the outcome of an election.

The individuals who are elected will make many important decisions including how tax dollars are spent in your community.

Next Election Day

2026 Municipal Election
Monday, October 26, 2026

VOTE using the INTERNET or TELEPHONE

Eligible electors will receive a Voter Information Letter by Mail (Mailing Date is To be Determined - End of September/Early October) Please keep this letter in a safe spot. You need it to vote!

The Voter Information Letter is only intended for the person it is addressed to. If you are not an eligible elector and receive a letter, please contact the election help line at 1-800-928-2250 and speak to an election official OR Return the letter, unopened, to the Municipal Office at 1439 County Road 8, Delta ON, K0E 1G0

The Voter Information Letter will contain all of the information required for you to either use the internet for voting or to use your telephone. It will also include a specific PIN - Personal Identification Number, that is specific to the elector. Do not share your PIN.

Using your PIN (found on the Voter Information Letter mailed to your home) and Date of Birth, vote by INTERNET or TELEPHONE anytime from Monday, October 19, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. through to Monday, October 26, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. (You can vote at anytime 24/7)

Please follow the instructions on your Voter Information Letter carefully.

If using Telephone Voting, please listen carefully to the instructions. NOTE: Rotary Phones cannot be used to vote. You must use a touchtone phone or cell phone.
A unique website address and a unique phone number will be provided within the Voter Information Letter.
If you are voting by internet, type the website address at the top of your browser, not in the search bar.
Please type the web address as it is shown in your letter.

Watch the HOW TO VOTE VIDEO to gain more information on how to vote by internet or telephone.

VOTER HELPLINE

For assistance, CALL 1-800-928-2250 or EMAIL
The VOTER HELPLINE is available during the following times:

Monday, October 19th, 2026: 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 20th, 2026 through Friday, October 23rd, 2026: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Monday, October 26th, 2026: 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

IN-PERSON VOTING ASSISTANCE AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY 

There are NO paper ballots.
If you need assistance with voting or require access to a computer or touchtone phone, please visit one of the following locations during the hours listed.
Remember to bring your Voter Information Letter.

Library Staff are appointed as Election Helpers for the purposes of assisting with help voting. They will not be able to make changes to your information.
For those needing help with getting added to the Voters' List or making changes to their information, please contact the Voter Helpline noted above.

Visit any of the Rideau Lakes Public Library locations during their open hours:

Township Election staff will also be available after hours during voting week at the following library locations:

As of January 1, 2024, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is no longer responsible for collecting voter information for municipal elections. However, MPAC is required to collect school support information.

Property owners in Ontario must designate support for a school system, even if they do not have children or if their children do not currently attend school. This designation appears on your Property Assessment Notice.

There are four different kind of school boards within the Township of Rideau Lakes geographical area for the 2026 election:

1. English Language Public School Board (Upper Canada District School Board): This is the default school board. Unless you are qualified to vote for a separate or French board, you will vote for the English public school board.
2. French Language Public School Board(Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario): You must be a French language rights holder, and you must be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter) of the French language public school board.
3. English Language Separate School Board (Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario) You must be a Roman Catholic and you must be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter of the English – language separate school board.
4. French Language Separate School Board (Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est) You must be a French language rights holder.

What Ward are you in?

Check your tax bill. The following are the Wards associated to the roll #

Ward 1 (Bastard and South Burgess): Roll Number begins with 0831-831

Ward 2 (South Elmsley): Roll Number begins with 0831-828

Ward 3 (South Crosby): Roll Number begins with 0831-836

Ward 4 (North Crosby-Newboro): Roll Number begins with 0831-839

Click on the map to enlarge

Are you on the Voters' List?

The Voters’ List is the list of eligible electors in the Township of Rideau Lakes.

If you have questions whether or not you are on the Voters' List during this time, it's best to call Election Officials at 1-800-928-2250 extension 293.

Checking and updating of the Voter's List is no longer available online through Elections Ontario.

Voters who wish to be added to the Voter's List or make changes to their voter information may do so by completing our online Application to Amend Voter's List (EL15) form. You will be required to provide supporting documentation, such as government-issued photo identification and proof of your qualifying address.

You will be required to provide supporting documentation, such as government-issued photo identification and proof of your qualifying address.

Voters can also visit the Municipal Office located at 1439 County Road 8 in Chantry between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to be added or make changes to their voter information.

 
School support

As of January 1, 2024, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is no longer responsible for collecting voter information for local elections. However, MPAC is legislatively required to collect school support designations. Update your school support through MPAC’s Online School Support page.

As a property owner in Ontario, you are required to support a school system, even if you do not have children or your children are not currently attending school. This information can be found on your Property Assessment Notice.For more information about school support designations, visit the MPAC website.

Student voters

For local municipal elections, students are entitled to vote in multiple municipalities if their permanent home and temporary student home are in different municipalities or Territory Without Municipal Organization areas. Students can update or add their “home address” to the Voter’s List as their permanent family home and list their temporary student home as an additional property they, or their spouse, own or rent.

Municipal & School Board Elections Common Voter Questions and Answers for eVoting

1.    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.

2.    What if my name is not on the Voters List?

The Preliminary List of Electors was provided to the Municipality by Elections Ontario.

You can call the municipality or email , and Election staff will check to see if you are on the list.

Staff will then work with you to ensure you get on the list and receive a Voter Information Letter.

3.    When should I expect to receive my Voter Information Letter with my Personal Identification Number (PIN) in the mail?

Individual PINs were mailed by Canada Post October 5^th.

4.   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 Voter Information Letter with 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.

5.    Why would I not get a Voter Information letter (VIL) in the mail?

If you did not get a VIL in the mail, one of two things may have happened. First, your name was not on the official Elector List. VIL’s are only mailed to electors whose names appear on the official Elector List as supplied by the municipality. Secondly, a VIL may have been mailed to you, and it has been delayed for some reason in the mail system.

6.   Why did I receive more than one Voter Information Letter (VIL) and PIN?

7. Can anyone tell how I voted if they know my PIN?

No. The system does not track how an elector has voted, only that the Personal identification Number has been used to cast a vote.

8.    Once I have received my Voter Information letter, 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, you can use either the telephone or the Internet to cast your vote, using the Personal identification number including in your VIL.

9.    What if I lose or misplace my PIN?

If an elector loses or misplaces their Voter Information letter, they should contact the Voter HelpLine at 1-800-928-2250 or 613-928-2251. The Election Official can decide to replace the missing VIL if the PIN has not already been used to vote. 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 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.

10.    How do I access the voting system?

Voting instructions are 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.

11. 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 you are interrupted or lose a connection, you can disconnect from the Internet or the telephone and re-connect later. You can re-enter your PIN (provided on your VIL) 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.

12. What happens if I access the voting system and am presented with incorrect candidates for my municipality?

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.

13. 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 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.

14. 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. A ‘How to’ Video was created which may help: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v6itb56e1952c314w7rr9/How-to-vote-online-Ontario-2026-Intelivote.mp4?rlkey=ofovruzecdcagbn95jx7ia3ee&st=dkvcm1iy&e=1&dl=0

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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 Help Centre (Municipal Office or Library) The location of the Voter Assistance Centre(s) can be found in the Voter Instruction letters sent to eligible electors.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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 Help Centre to cast your vote, the Election Official present will be able to assist you.

22. 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.

The following resources are available for Voters to review which will provide further information on the 2026 Municipal Election:

• Rideau Lakes - Telephone and Internet Voting Election Policy and Procedures
• Rideau Lakes - Municipal Election Accessibility Plan 2026
• 2026 Voters’ Guide - Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections