How Are Voting Locations Chosen?
How are voting locations chosen?
The City runs its election a little differently than other levels of government and other municipalities in Ontario.
We were one of the first municipalities in Ontario to implement a vote anywhere, ballot on demand voting model. One of the biggest differences between our election and others is the way we choose our voting locations.
Voting locations are chosen based on a number of criteria, including but not limited to:
- Accessibility for persons with disabilities
- General ease of access for voters within the catchment area
- General community familiarity with the location
- Proximity to main roadways and transit stops
- Availability of parking
- Necessary power and internet or cellular requirements
An added consideration for this election involves ensuring that locations have sufficient space to allow for distancing and spacing of voters and election staff, given the continuing presence of COVID-19 in the community.
Locations that were chosen are commonly used as voting locations by other levels of government. We understand that no location is perfect, and some areas of the city have limited locations available that satisfy the necessary criteria. The election team aims to balance these factors in selecting locations.