Ottawa voters have another chance to cast a ballot for mayor, councillor and school board trustee today, as the municipal election campaign continues. The City of Ottawa is hosting an Advance Voting Day today, with polling stations open in 24 wards across the city between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. This is the fifth of six voting days in Ottawa’s municipal election, with the final chance to vote on election day on Monday, Oct. 26. More than 27,000 people cast ballots during the four days of Special Advance Voting during the first weekend of October. Here’s what you need to know about the Advance Voting Day. When can I vote? The City of Ottawa says advance polling stations will be open in all 24 wards between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. If you don’t vote today, your final chance is Monday, Oct. 26. Where can I vote? Voters must cast their ballot for mayor, councillor and school board trustee at their assigned polling station in their ward. The city says to find your polling place, check the Voter Notification Letter, contact the Elections Ottawa Officer or use the Where Do I Vote? tool on ottawa.ca/vote. The city asks electors who have the Voter Notification Letter to bring it to the voting place, but it is not required to vote. What do I need to vote? Voters will be required to present a piece of identification to receive a ballot at the voting location. The city says the identification must show your name and qualifying Ottawa address. The city says you may present one of the following as a piece of personal information: The city says photo identification is not required to vote in the municipal election. What if my name is not on the voters list? The City of Ottawa says electors whose names do not appear on the Voters List or who need to update their information can do so at the voting location. Applications to add or amend information on the Voters’ List will be available at every voting place and are easy to fill out on-site. The city says you must show identification before receiving a ballot at the voting place, and the ID must show an elector’s name and qualifying address. “If an elector cannot present acceptable proof of identity and address, they can make a statutory declaration before being issued a ballot,” the city said. Who cannot vote The City of Ottawa says the following cannot vote in the municipal election. Votes cast already The City of Ottawa says 27,553 votes were cast during the four days of Special Advance Voting between Oct. 1 and 4. That’s up 45 per cent from the 18,876 ballots that were cast during all four days of Special Advance Voting Days in 2022. In 2022, the city hosted two Advance Voting Days. A total of 26,773 votes were cast during the first Advance Voting Day in 2022, while 33,842 votes were cast on the second day.
