Toronto

Ontario Election 2018: Today's the day, here's how to vote

Election day is upon us. Here's what you need to know to cast your ballot.

Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A woman opens a door with a sign that says VOTE with an arrow pointing inside
Millennial voters, between the ages of 18 and 38, make up as much as 37 per cent of the electorate in the October federal election. (Peter Power/The Canadian Press)

Election day is upon us and that means people will be lining up at their assigned polling stations to cast their ballots. 

If you're voting in the provincial election, here's what you need to know.

Who can vote

You must be at least 18.

You must be a Canadian citizen and resident of Ontario. 

Where to vote

A sign directs voters to a polling station in downtown Toronto. (David Donnelly/CBC)

Where you vote is based on where you live within your electoral district.

You can only vote at the polling station assigned to you. 

You can look that up on the Elections Ontario website by entering your postal code. 

It's also on the Voter Information Card you may have received in the mail.

What you need to bring

You do not need your voter card to cast your ballot. (CBC News )

The identification you need will depend on whether you are on the voter's list. That's also something you can look up on the Elections Ontario site.  

If you are on the Voter's List:

  • Bring one piece of ID that has your name written the same way it appears on the Voter's List.

If you are not on the Voter's List:

  • Bring one piece of ID that has your name and current residential address. 

Acceptable forms of ID include an Ontario's Driver Licence, Ontario Photo Card, Band Council Identification and bank statements. 

Something like an Ontario's Driver Licence that includes your name and address would do. Some voters might need to bring a combination of ID to prove their name and another to prove address. 

Proof of address can come in the form of a cellphone bill addressed to you and it doesn't have to be a paper copy.

You can bring up a digital copy on your phone—which is new this year.

Marking your ballot

Some Indigenous communities are embracing electronic voting, and casting their ballots by telephone. (iStock)

At the voting station an election official will hand you a ballot with a list of all of the candidates running in your electoral district. 

You'll be directed to a privacy screen where you will mark an "X" in the assigned bubble next to the name of the candidate of your choice. 

If you make a mistake and need a new ballot, you may take it to an election official who will write "Cancelled" on the back of it. 

They'll issue you a new ballot.

Cancelled ballots are not counted in the official results.​

To brush up on the candidates, their platforms, their polling numbers and latest news, visit CBC's Ontario Election interactive website here:  Elections 2018: Ontario Votes.

Where to watch our coverage and get results