Voter FAQs

Q – When are the 2010 municipal elections?

A – The 2010 municipal elections are being held on Monday, October 25, 2010.  City of Kawartha Lakes electors should receive a mail-in voter kit in the mail by October 1^st.

Q – What if I do not receive a voter kit?

A – If you do not receive a mail-in voter kit by October 8^th, please contact the Election Office at 705-324-9411 Ext. 1255

Q – Will there be advance voting?

A – The advance voting will be your mail-in voter kit.  Once you receive your mail-in voter kit, you can vote and return it by mail or you can drop it off at any Municipal Service Centre.

Q – Who can vote in municipal elections?

A – You can vote in municipal elections (or be an eligible elector) if, on voting day, you are:

• A resident of the City of Kawartha Lakes, or an owner or tenant of land in the City of Kawartha Lakes, or the spouse of such an owner or tenant;
• A Canadian citizen;
• At least 18 years old;  and,
• Not prohibited from voting by law.

If you are not a resident in the City of Kawartha Lakes, to vote for a School Board Trustee, you must be:

• An owner or tenant of residential property in the area of jurisdiction of the school board, who does not support any other school board.  If you are not sure which board you support, this information can be found on the voters’ list which is available September 7^th.

Q – How do I know if I’m prohibited by law from voting?

A – You are prohibited from voting on voting day if you are:

• A person serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution
• A corporation
• A person acting as executor or trustee or in another representative capacity, except as a voting proxy
• A person convicted of a corrupt practice for an election held within 5 years of voting day

Q – What offices will the City’s electors be voting for?

A – The offices can be found the 2010 Municipal Elections - Notice page.

Q – Why should I vote?

A – Democracy is based on the fundamental right of the individual to vote.

The City of Kawartha Lakes Municipal Government provides you with a multitude of services that may affect your daily lives such as roads, water, sewer, landfill, fire, ambulance, home for the aged, social services, transit, licensing, parks, recreation, libraries, planning, building, by-law enforcement, economic development, business development, agricultural development, social housing, and municipal airport.  Voting gives you a say in how your City is run.

Q – Am I registered to vote?

A – The City of Kawartha Lakes voters’ list is compiled and supplied by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation in accordance with legislation.  It is compiled from information that they have been supplied with from various sources including returned Enumeration Forms.  The voters’ list will be available for you to review at the City of Kawartha Lakes Elections Office, City Hall Clerk’s Office, Municipal Service Centres located in Bethany, Bobcaygeon, Coboconk, Kirkfield, Lindsay and Omemee from Tuesday, September 7 to Monday, October 25, 2010.  You should check the voters’ list to ensure that your name, address and school-support designation are listed correctly.

NOTE:  We encourage you to get any required changes to us between September 7^th and 13^th and no later than Tuesday, September 14^th so that we can make sure your name and correct personal information gets on the final, printed version of the voters’ list and so you will receive your mail-in voter kit with the initial mailing and avoid delays in receiving your kit.

Q – How do I add my name or amend my personal information on the voters’ list?

A – Starting on Tuesday, September 7, 2010, you will have an opportunity to add or change your personal information on the voters’ list.  To do so, you can -

By Phone

Contact either the Elections Office at 705-324-9411 Ext. 1255 or any of the Municipal Centres in Bethany (705)277-2321, Bobcaygeon (705)738-2363, Coboconk (705)454-3322, Kirkfield (705)438-3141, Lindsay (705)324-9411 or Omemee (705)799-5254.  Provide us with your name and address, and we will send you an Application to Add or Amend the Voters’ List form.

In Person

You can also pick up a copy of the form at the Elections Office, or at any of the Municipal Service Centres located at:

Website

You can also download a copy of the form from the City’s website.  Just print off the form, fill in all the blank, sign it and mail or deliver it back to us.  We will add your name to the voters’ list or amend your information.

NOTE:  We encourage you to get any required changes to us between September 7^th and 13^th and no later than Tuesday, September 14^th so that we can make sure your name and correct personal information gets on the final, printed version of the voters’ list and so you will receive your mail-in voter kit with the initial mailing and avoid delays in receiving your kit.

Q – If I own more than one property in the City of Kawartha Lakes, can I vote more than once?

A – No.  You can vote only once for the offices of Mayor, Councillor and School Board Trustee.  Your qualifying address, where your name will be on the voters’ list, will be determined by your primary residence.

Q – Can a person who is homeless or who has no fixed address vote?

A – Yes.  Eligible voters who are homeless, or without a permanent home or fixed address, can vote.  Their qualifying address will be determined by the place:

• To which they most frequently returned to sleep or eat during the five weeks prior to the election, since this is considered to be their residence; or
• Where they returned to sleep, if they returned with equal frequency to one place to sleep and another to eat.

Q – Can someone else vote on my behalf?

A – No.  You must complete your own mail-in ballot kit and sign the declaration form.  There is no proxy voting available when using the mail-in voting method.

NOTE:  It is an offence to sign someone else’s signature or forge someone else’s signature.

Q – Will I be notified of where and when to vote?

A - No – you will receive your mail-in voting kit at the address listed on the voters’ list.  Just read and complete the instructions, mail back your completed ballot kit and you will be marked off the voters’ list and your ballot will be processed.

Q – Can I get a copy of the voters’ list?

A – No.  Under Ontario’s Municipal Elections Act, the City can only provide copies of the voters’ list to candidates, MPs, MPPs.  However, you can review the list at the Elections Office or any of the Municipal Service Centres located in

Bethany, Bobcaygeon, Coboconk, Kirkfield, Lindsay and Omemee to check your own information.  You cannot use the voters’ list to obtain information on other electors.

Q – Who are the candidates?

A – You can view the most current list of candidates for the offices of Mayor, Councillor and School Board Trustee on the City’s Web Site.  You can also contact the Elections Office and we will provide you with a list of the nominated candidates.

Q – How can I get in touch with a candidate, or find out about their election platform?

A – The list of candidates with their contact numbers is available on the City’s web site.  To find out about a candidate’s platform, you must contact the candidate or his or her campaign headquarters directly.

Q – Where can I get election results?

A – At the close of voting on October 25, the totals will be electronically tabulated by a central computer and compiled.  These results will then be displayed at City Hall, and on the City’s web site and will be announced at the Victoria Park Armoury.

Q – How can I find out if my ward has changed since the 2006 Municipal Election?

A – There have been no ward boundary changes since the 2006 Municipal Election.

NEED MORE INFORMATION

Contact the City of Kawartha Lakes’ Election Office at (705) 324-9411 Ext. 1255 or Ext. 1262.

The Election Office is located at City Hall, 26 Francis Street, Lindsay, Second Floor.

Election information is also available at any of the Municipal Service Centres located at: