On Thursday, Ontario voters will head to the polls to cast a ballot to determine which party leader will be the province’s next premier.
While the deadline to vote by mail has come and gone, voters will still be able to head to their local voting centre to cast a ballot until Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. or head to the polls on election day.
Just six per cent of eligible voters in Ontario took advantage of advance voting in this year’s general election, preliminary data shows, which means plenty of Ontarians are expected to head to the polls on Thursday.
Where to cast your ballot?
If you are not sure where to place your vote on Thursday, visit the Elections Ontario website to find location information.
The website’s search tool allows voters to search either via their electoral district or postal code so they know here to head on Election Day.
The polls will be open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., and companies are required to allow employees time off, if needed, to cast their ballot.
No voter card, no problem
Those registered to vote should have received a voter information card in the mail between Feb. 17 and 22 with information on when and where Ontarians are supposed to cast their ballot.
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If your voter information card has not arrived, it may still be on route, according to an official from Elections Ontario.
“We’ve been working very closely with Canada Post to get the voter cards out,” Elections Ontario spokesperson Greg Flood told Global News.
He said there may have been some delays due to the recent snowstorms that have afflicted Ontario.
“I think some people have even acknowledged that there’s been some questions about the weather posing challenges in that regard too,” he explained. “So, we know that they’re in the system and they’re being shipped out to Ontarians across this province.”
He noted that you are not required to have a voter information card to cast your ballot.
That said, you will still need to be 18 years of age or older, a Canadian citizen and a resident of Ontario to qualify. You will also need to bring a piece of ID.
If you have never voted or don’t recall what happens on election day, here is a brief rundown of the process.
When Ontarians reach the voting location, they will need to show a valid form of ID. There is a lengthy list of valid IDs for the process, including everything from a passport and driver’s licence to a blood donor card or credit card. A full list can be found on the Elections Ontario website but just know it must contain your name.
If you don’t have a voter information card, you are still eligible to vote but you will need to bring ID with you that has both your name and home address on it. You will then be asked to sign a declaration.
For the next step, voters receive their ballot and are directed to go behind a voting screen to cast their ballot.
You will then cast your ballot by marking X beside your preferred candidate’s name and place your ballot to the box.
In locations with updated technology, voters will be asked to place their ballots into a secrecy folder and then bring them to a tabulatation machine. If you are in other voting locations, you will fold your ballot and drop it into a box.
With files from Global News’ Megan King and Aaron D’andrea
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
