Alayne McGregor
Can’t make October 24? You can vote in city and school board elections as early as next weekend.
The city has slightly expanded voting options this year, with city-wide advance polls at nine locations (including City Hall downtown) from September 24 to 27, plus two advance poll days on October 7 and 14. All polls will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
If you hurry, you can also register to vote by mail, but the deadline is Friday, September 16 at 4:30 p.m. You can also appoint a proxy to vote for you any time up to and including October 24.
You can find your voting locations and candidates at ottawa.ca/vote.
If you’re on the voters’ list, you should have already received a letter from the city. You can check at ottawa.ca/vote.
You can add yourself or change your information online up to Friday, September 16 at 4:30 p.m. After that, you can fill out a form at your voting location on voting days.
You must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old to vote. You must live in Ottawa, or own or rent property in Ottawa, or be the spouse of an owner/tenant.
You must show ID when coming to vote. The city will accept not only government-issued ID, but also bank statements, utility bills, hospital cards, pay receipts, a college/university transcript or report card, and more. See “Information for voters” on ottawa.ca/vote for the full list. A passport is not accepted.