Voters

If you wish to vote in-person or require assistance, an Election Help Centre will be located at Town Hall (3-5 Pineridge Gate).

To receive a ballot, you must be on the Voters' List. Read "Are you on the Voters' List?" below for more info.

If you are on the Voters' List you can vote for:

• the office of Mayor (1)
• the office of your Ward Councillor (1)
• the offices of District Councillors (up to 3)
• a School Board Trustee (1)

You can vote if you are:

• a Canadian citizen;
• at least 18 years old;
• a resident in the Town of Gravenhurst;
• a non-resident of Gravenhurst, but you or your spouse own or rent property in Gravenhurst; and,
• not prohibited from voting under any law.

More Information:

• You may only vote once in the Gravenhurst Municipal Elections regardless of how many properties you own/rent within the Town.
• You vote for the Ward where you live.
• If you are a seasonal resident, you vote in the Ward where your property is located.
• You may only vote once for a school board.

Seasonal VS Permanent Resident - Am I Qualified to Vote?

• serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution;
• a corporation;
• owner or tenant (or spouse of an owner or tenant) of a commercial property;
• acting as executor or trustee, or in another representative capacity; or
• convicted of a corrupt practice described in section 90(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, as amended.

Seasonal VS Permanent Resident - Am I Qualified to Vote?

You do not require further I.D. if you are already on the Voters' List. Review "Are you on the Voters' List?" for more information.

You will need qualifying I.D. if you need to add yourself to the Voters' List.

Documents showing name & Gravenhurst address accepted:

• Ontario issued photo card, driver’s licence or motor vehicle permit (vehicle portion).
• Cancelled personalized cheque, credit card or bank account statement.
• Utility bill for hydro, telephone or cable TV, water, gas or a bill from a public utilities commission.
• Cheque stub, T4 statement or pay receipt issued by an employer.
• Statement of direct deposit for Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program.
• Property tax assessment, income tax assessment notice, Child Tax Benefit statement.
• Mortgage statement, lease or rental agreement.
• Transcript or report card from a post-secondary school.
• Document showing campus residence, issued by the office or officials responsible for student residence at a post-secondary institution.
• Any other document from the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or a document issued or certified by a court in Ontario.
• Any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada).
• Insurance policy or insurance statement.
• Loan agreement or other financial agreement with a financial institution.
• Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid T4E.
• Statement of Old Age Security T4A (OAS), Canada Pension Plan Benefits T4A (P), Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions.
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Statement of Benefits T5007.
• CNIB card or a card from another registered charitable organization that provides services to persons with disabilities.
• Document showing residence at a long-term care home under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, issued by the Administrator for the home.
• Hospital card or record.

Resources:

Ontario regulation 304/13 for voter identification under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 as amended

For the health and safety of all Voters and Candidates, participants will require to follow all current COVID-19 measures as set by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and the Town of Gravenhurst 

The Town is committed to ensure that all qualified electors have an opportunity to vote.

Internet and Telephone Voting provides the most accessible methods to participate in the municipal elections. These methods of voting:

• eliminate the need for Voters to physically attend a polling station
• provide the voter to use familiar technology (their own devices)
• extended voting period

At the discretion of the Clerk, special requests may be considered for an Election Official to travel to a location with a laptop/tablet to assist voters who require accommodations. 

Election officials are trained to interact with people with disabilities and those who are accompanied by either a support person or a service animal.

If you require assistance inside the Election Help Centre you may bring an assistant or friend along or ask an Election Official for assistance. Your assistant or friend may go to the voting area with you, but they must complete a Declaration. Election Officials take an Oath of Secrecy when they are appointed.

Resources:

The 2022 Municipal Elections Accessibility Plan was developed to help remove barriers for people with accessible needs.

 School Board Election Information

• 18 years of age or older;
• a Canadian citizen; and
• a resident of municipality, or the owner or tenant (or spouse of an owner of tenant) of residential property in a municipality.

Also:

• You are only allowed to vote once for a school board.
• If you are eligible to vote in a municipality because you are the owner or tenant (or spouse of an owner or tenant) of a commercial property, you are not eligible to vote for school trustee.

There are 4 different kinds of school boards in Ontario:

• English-language public school board: This is the default – unless you are qualified to vote for a separate or French board, you will vote for the English public school board in your area.

  • area board name: Trillium Lakelands District School Board

• English language separate school board: You must be Roman Catholic, and you must be a separate school board supporter or the spouse of a separate school board supporter. If your spouse is a Roman Catholic and you are not, you are not eligible.

  • area board name: Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (Ward 4)

• French language public school board: You must be a French language rights holder, and you must be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter) of the French language public school board.

  • area board name: Conseil Scolaire Public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario (Zone A)

• French language separate school board: You must be a Roman Catholic and a French language rights holder, and you must be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter) of the French separate school board. If your spouse is a Roman Catholic and you are not, you are not eligible.

  • area board name: Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud (#64)

“Supporter” refers to which school board the school portion of your property taxes goes to. The default is the public school system.

In order to be a separate school board supporter you must direct your taxes to the separate school board system. Contact the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) at 1-866-296-6722 for more info.

*View the List of School Board Trustee Candidates on our Candidates' Page.

Resources:

• Trillium Lakelands District School Board
• Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
• Conseil Scolaire Public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario (Zone A)
• Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud (#64)