Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville

A Canadian citizen
18 years of age on or before October 25th, 2010;
Either a resident of the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, or you and/or your spouse are non-resident owner or tenant of property in the Town
Not prohibited from voting under any law.

Please note that landed immigrants and British subjects are not qualified electors. In addition, corporations are not qualified to vote.

What should I take with me to vote?
The Municipal Elections Act requires all electors to produce original identification containing their name, qualifying address and signature before being issued a ballot at the poll. Some identification, such as a driver’s licence, contains all the necessary information. As a result, those electors who choose to show their driver's licence as proof of identity will only need to produce one document. However, some identification only contains the electors’ name and signature or name and qualifying address. As a result, it may be necessary to show two different pieces of identification in order to provide proof of name, qualifying address and signature. A complete list of acceptable identification is listed below. [See “What kind of identification is acceptable?” and Summary of Acceptable Forms of Identifcation.]

Do I need to take my Voter Notification Card with me to the poll?
It is a good idea to take your Voter Notification Card with you to the poll. The Voter Notification Cards are mailed out to the residents towards the beginning of October. The Voter Notification Card is NOT an acceptable form of identification, but it will assist the election official in finding your name on the Voters’ List. If you did not receive a Voter Notification Card in the mail, your name may not be on the Voters’ List. [See “What if my name is not on the Voters’ List or the information is incorrect?”]

What kind of identification is acceptable?
You will need to present an original or certified or notarial copy of a document showing your name, qualifying address and signature before being given a ballot to vote. A mere photocopy of the identification will not be acceptable.

If your name is on the Voters’ List and you do not have acceptable identification, you will be required to complete a Declaration of Identity (Form 9) before being given a ballot.

If your name is NOT on the Voters’ List and you do not have identification, you will not be able to take the Declaration of Identity (Form 9). The declaration is a confirmation that you are the person as shown on the Voters’ List. As a result, you can only take this declaration if you are on the Voters’ List. You will be asked to return to the poll with acceptable identification.

For a complete list of acceptable forms of identification see Summary of Acceptable Forms of Identification.

In which Ward do I live?

The Town amended the Ward Boundaries in 2009. As a result, your Ward may be different than it was in 2006. A copy of the Town’s new Ward Boundary Map is posted on the Town’s website www.townofws.com/election. You can also call the Clerk’s Department at:

(905) 640-1910 or (905) 895-5299 ext. 260, 451, 225, 222, 228

during office hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Monday to Friday) and someone will advise you as to the number of your Ward. Or you can email your request to election@townofws.ca.

When can I check to see if my name is on the Voters’ List?
The Voters’ List will be finalized on September 1st, 2010.

After September 1st, 2010, you can check to see if your name is on the Voters’ List by:

Clicking here; or
Visiting the Clerk’s Department or the Main Circulation Desk at the Whitchurch-Stouffville Public Library to view a copy of the Voters’ List.

What if my name is not on the Voters’ List or the information is incorrect?
If you have recently:

Turned 18;
Changed your name as a result of getting married/divorced; or
Moved

chances are that your voter information will not be reflected correctly on the Voters’ List. You should check the Voters’ List and if changes are required, you should try to make the changes prior to Election Day. This will ensure that you receive your Voter Notification Card in the mail and you will save yourself delays at the poll.

You may change your own personal information at any time between September 1st, 2010 and the close of voting on October 25th, 2010 (Election Day). By filling out an Application to Amend the Voters’ List (Form 10-WS). To do this, you have four options:

On or before October 25th, 2010, you may obtain an Application to Amend the Voters’ List (Form 10-WS) by visiting the Clerk’s Department during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Monday to Friday) and someone will assist you in completing the form.

Staff will be available to assist voters with the completion of Applications to Amend the Voters’ List (Form 10-WS), as well as Voting Proxies (Form 3), on:

Wednesday, September 22nd from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon at the Ballantrae Golf & Country Club, Recreation Centre, 1 Final Round in Ballantrae; and

Saturday, September 25th from 12:00 noon until 4:00 p.m. at the Lebovic Centre, 30 Burkholder Street in Stouffville

You may complete a form when you go to the poll to vote at one of the Advance Votes.
[See “When and where are the Advance Votes?”] You will be required to provide the election staff with acceptable identification. [See “What kind of identification is acceptable?”];

You may complete a form when you go to the poll to vote on October 25th, 2010 (Election Day). You will be required to provide the election staff with acceptable identification.
[See “What kind of identification is acceptable?”].

Please note that the Clerk’s Department cannot process Applications to Amend the Voters’ List (Form 10-WS) received after October 20th, 2010. After that time, you must add your name to the Voters’ List at the voting place.

Can I fill out the application to amend the Voters’ List on line?
No. You must provide proof of identity and residence in order to be added to the Voters’ List and all election documents must contain original signatures. For these two reasons, we cannot accept faxed, emailed, copied or digital signatures.

Can I fax or email my signed application to amend the Voters’ List?
No. You must provide proof of identity and residence in order to be added to the Voters’ List and all election documents must contain original signatures. For these two reasons, we cannot accept faxed, emailed, copied or digital signatures.

I added my name to the Voters’ List during the last election. Why is is not there now?
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (or MPAC) is responsible for preparing the Preliminary List of Electors used for municipal and school board elections in Ontario. After the 2006 election, the Town provided all the completed application forms to MPAC for up-dating their records.

Why is my name not on the list?
In May, MPAC sent out 2010 Municipal Enumeration Forms to those individuals whose voter information was incomplete. This included missing information pertaining to age or citizenship. Those who completed the Enumeration Form were added to the Voters’ List. In addition, in August, the Town sent out letters to all individuals whose citizenship information could not be confirmed. Those individuals who completed the Declaration were returned to the Voters’ List. If you received either of these documents and you did not complete and return them, your name will NOT be on the Voters’ List.

Can I add my name to the Voters’ List when I go to Vote?
Yes, although we encourage you to complete this process earlier. If you make the changes prior to the end of September, you will ensure that you receive a Voter Notification Card in the mail. However, if you are a qualified voter, you may add your name to the Voters’ List when you go to vote. The application takes a few minutes to complete and then you will be able to vote. Make sure that you take identification with you that shows your name, qualifying address and signature .
[See “What kind of identification is acceptable?”]

How do I have a name deleted from the Voters’ List?
Between Tuesday, September 7th and Friday, September 10th, 2010, you may complete an Application for Removal of Another Person’s Name from the Voters’ List (Form 11-WS). On or before September 10th, you can obtain an application form by visiting the Clerk’s Department during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Monday to Friday) and someone will assist you in completing the form.

Can I have my own name removed from the Voters’ List?
Yes. You can complete an “Application to Amend the Voters’ List” form at the Clerk’s Department. Please note that removing your name from the Voters’ List for the 2010 municipal election, will not ensure that your name is removed from all future Voters’ Lists (i.e. Provincial or Federal Voters’ Lists).

When and where do I vote?
If your name is on the Voters’ List, you will receive a Voters’ Notification Card in the mail in early October. This notice will tell you where you can vote during the Advance Vote time as well as where you would vote on Election Day. If you did not receive a Voter Notification Card, your name may not be on the Voters’ List and you should take the necessary steps to add your name to the List. You can find out where and when you vote by calling the Clerk’s Department at: (905) 640-1910 or (905) 895-5299 ext. 260, 451, 225, 222 or 228 Or you can email your request to election@townofws.ca

When and where are the Advance Votes?

An Advance Vote will be held on:

Saturday, October 16, 2010 – 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wards 1, 2, and 3 at the Ballantrae Fire Hall, 15400 Hwy 48

Saturday, October 16, 2010 – 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wards 4, 5 and 6 at the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville Municipal Offices, 37 Sandiford Drive, 4th Floor, Stouffville (in the Council Chambers)

Monday, October 18, 2010 – 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 at the of Whitchurch-Stouffville Municipal Offices, 37 Sandiford Drive, 4th Floor, Stouffville (in the Council Chambers)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010 – 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 at the Lebovic Leisure Centre,
30 Burkholder Street (Lobby at main entrance)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 – 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 at the of Whitchurch-Stouffville Municipal Offices, 37 Sandiford Drive, 4th Floor, Stouffville (in the Council Chambers)

Special vote tabulating equipment will only be available at the Advance Votes to assist voters with disability to vote independently. To ensure that your specific needs can be addressed at the Advance Vote, please call the Clerk at (905) 640-1910 ext. 224 or (905) 895-5299 ext. 224 or email michele.kennedy@townofws.ca prior to the start of the Advance Votes on October 16th, 2010.

Special Vote Tabulating Equipment
As a pilot project, Staff will be offering the use of vote tabulating equipment at the advance voting locations only for the 2010 Municipal Election. The vote tabulator is an optical scanner that will read the marks on a ballot and count the votes for each contest.

The equipment is uniquely designed to accommodate voters with varying abilities. Specialty assistive devices will be available for voters living with disabilities to use so they can exercise their right to vote independently.

The assistive device consists of a hand-held device (Audio Tactile Interface (ATI)), about the size of a pocketbook, that has raised buttons of different shapes and colours. The buttons are labelled in Braille to aid visually impaired voters. The ATI allows a voter to adjust the volume, change the speed and move forward and backward through the offices listed on the ballot and select candidates. Additionally the equipment is designed to accommodate paddles or sip-and-puff devices should they be required. Once a voter has made their selection using the assistive device, a paper ballot will be printed and discharged into a secrecy folder. The ballot will then be fed by an Election Official, into the vote tabulator and read in the same manner as the unassisted ballots are processed. The marks on the ballot produced by the printer are indistinguishable from those made by hand, therefore protecting the secrecy of voters using the assistive devise.

To ensure that your specific needs can be addressed at the Advance Vote, please call the Clerk at (905) 640-1910 ext. 224 or (905) 895-5299 ext. 224 or email michele.kennedy@townofws.ca prior to the start of the Advance Votes on October 16th, 2010.

How do I find the voting place?
Make sure that you know the address of the voting place where you are supposed to go to vote. The address will be shown on your Voter Notification Card. If you are in doubt,

call the Clerk’s Department at: (905) 640-1910 or (905) 895-5299 ext. 260, 451, 225, 222 or 228

and staff will advise you as to the voting location assigned to your address. Or you can email your request to election@townofws.ca

New voting locations and voting locations where the entrance is difficult to locate will have mobile signs stationed at the entrance one week prior to Election Day. In the case of a large voting place, directional arrows will direct you to the location inside the building.

Are all voting places wheelchair accessible?
All voting places for the Advance Votes and on Voting Day have been chosen with regard to their accessibility for wheelchairs. In addition, electors with a disability may also want to consider attending one of the Advance Votes. [See “When and where are the Advance Votes?”]. Special vote tabulating equipment will be available at the Advance Votes to assist electors with disability to vote independently. To ensure that your specific needs can be addressed at the Advance Vote, please call the Clerk at (905) 640-1910 ext. 224 or (905) 895-5299 ext. 224 or email michele.kennedy@townofws.ca prior to the start of the Advance Votes on October 16th, 2010.

Is parking available at all voting places?
In some voting places parking is limited. You can minimize parking difficulties by walking to the voting place or by going to vote during non-peak voting times.

What are the busiest times for voting?

First thing in the morning (between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.);
At school dismissal time in voting places located within schools;
Immediately following the work day (5:00 p.m.); and
Immediately prior to the 8:00 p.m. closing of the polls on Election Day.

What is a Voting Proxy?

An application for Voting Proxy (Form 3) (or proxy) is a provincially mandated municipal election form which allows a voter to appoint another person, who is a qualified voter in the same municipality, to vote on his or her behalf.

If a voter is going to be away from the municipality or for whatever reason will be unable to personally cast his or her vote on Election Day (Monday, October 25th, 2010) or at any of the Advance Votes (October 16th, 18th, 19th, or 20th, 2010), then a voter may utilize the proxy form to appoint someone else to vote on his or her behalf.

For more information, see All you need to know about Proxy Voting.

How do I get a Voting Proxy?
Proxy forms can be obtained through the Clerk’s Department at the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville during regular office hours – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

If you cannot attend at the Town offices in person to pick up your proxy form, the Clerk’s Department will make arrangements to deliver a proxy form to you. Please call:

(905) 640-1910 or (905) 895-5299 ext. 260, 451, 225, 222 or 228

or email election@townofws.ca

Proxy forms cannot be obtained through municipal candidates.

What happens if I am in line to vote when the voting place closes?
If you are inside the voting place or in line to vote prior to 8:00 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. No one else will be allowed inside the voting place once the doors close at 8:00 p.m.

What happens if I make a mistake when marking the ballot?
If you make a mistake or change your mind about whom you wish to vote, simply take the ballot to the election official and ask them to cancel your ballot and issue you another one. However, be careful with this replacement ballot as no further ballot will be issued.

If I only vote for one candidate on a ballot containing more than one office, will my ballot still be counted?
Yes

If I cannot mark my ballot on my own, can I ask for assistance or bring a friend along to help me?
Yes. If you desire to have someone assist you in marking your ballot, you can either ask an election official for help or you can use the services of a friend. You may also want to consider attending one of the Advance Votes. [See “When and where are the Advance Votes”].

Special vote tabulating equipment will only be available at the Advance Votes to assist voters with disability to vote independently. To ensure that your specific needs can be addressed at the Advance Vote, please call the Clerk at (905) 640-1910 ext. 224 or (905) 895-5299 ext. 224 or email michele.kennedy@townofws.ca prior to the start of the Advance Votes on October 16th, 2010.

Do you provide Braille or large-type ballots?
The ballots are not in Braille. However, magnifying sheets will be available for use on Election Day (October 25th, 2010). Voters with disabilities are encouraged to attend one of the Advance Votes. [See “When and where are the Advance Votes?”]. Special vote tabulating equipment will be available at the Advance Votes to assist voters with disability to vote independently. To ensure that your specific needs can be addressed at the Advance Vote, please call the Clerk at (905) 640-1910 ext. 224 or (905) 895-5299 ext. 224 or email michele.kennedy@townofws.ca prior to the start of the Advance Votes on October 16th, 2010.

Do you provide interpreters?
No. We do not provide translation services.

Can I bring an interpreter with me?
Yes. You may ask anyone, who is not a candidate, a scrutineer or an election official, to act as an interpreter for you.

Where can I get information about the candidates?
You should contact the candidates individually, watch the media for candidate information or attend All Candidates’ Meetings. Contact information for all of the candidates is available on the Municipal Election page of the Town’s website under the heading of Declared Candidates.

The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville does not distribute campaign information relating to the various candidates.

How can I find out when and where the All Candidates’ Meetings will be held?
The Whitchurch-Stouffville Public Library is sponsoring an All Candidates Meeting on Thursday September 23, 2010 at the Stouffville District Secondary School, 801 Hoover Park Drive at 7:00 p.m. For more information regarding the All Candidates meeting, contact the Library at (905) 642-7323. For the date and times of any other possible All Candidates’ Meetings, you should contact the candidates directly. The contact information for all of the candidates is available on the Municipal Election page of the Town’s website under the heading of Declared Candidates. The Clerk’s Department of the Town has no involvement in these meetings.

How do I go about getting employed by the Town to work at the voting place?
The Town is advertising for election workers. Decisions will be made about hiring late August or early September and training will take place in late September or early October. Application forms are posted on the Municipal Election page of the Town’s website or you can call the Clerk’s Department at:

(905) 640-1910 or (905) 895-2423 ext 123

during office hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Monday to Friday) or email your request for an application to election@townofws.ca.

Where can I go to hear the election results?
Election results will be posted in the Council Chambers of the Town Offices at 37 Sandiford Drive, 4th Floor, on Election Night (October 25th, 2010). The public is welcome to come to the Town Offices and watch the results as they come in.

In addition, the election results will be posted on the Municipal Election page of the Town’s website on Election Night as the results come in.

The web address is: www.townofws.com/election

Is my employer obligated to give me time off work so I can vote?
Sections 50 (1), (2) and (3) of the Municipal Elections Act state that a voter whose hours of employment are such that he or she would not otherwise have three consecutive hours to vote on voting day, is entitled to be absent from work for as long as is necessary to allow that amount of time. The absence shall be timed to suit the employer’s convenience as much as possible. The employer shall not make a deduction for the employee’s pay or impose any other penalty for the absence from work.