Photo courtesy of Elections Canada

Vote Often

October 22nd is Election Day in all Ontario municipalities. Did you know that in municipal elections non-residents can also vote?  You can vote in any municipality where you own land or are a tenant. (you can only vote once per municipality) You can only have one residence but you can be a tenant in many ways such as a commercial property or a campsite.

All Bare Oaks members with a long-term campsite are non-residential tenants under Ontario Municipal Elections Act and are therefore eligible to vote in East Gwillimbury.

To vote, you need to be:

  • A Canadian Citizen
  • At least 18 years of age
  • A resident or tenant (or their spouse)
  • Not prohibited by law from voting

Several members are already registered and have received their voter card.

Note: East Gwillimbury has now switched to a ward system with two councillors per ward. Bare Oaks is located in Ward 3.

Why should you vote?

  • To show that we are part of the municipality and that we care
  • Because the opinion and needs of Bare Oaks members matter
  • Because your vote can make a difference. There are 139 potential voters at Bare Oaks. When you look at the 2014 results for East Gwillimbury, you can see that 185 votes could have changed who won.

How to Vote

To check if you are on the list, go here: https://www.voterlookup.ca/home.aspx

If you have not received a voter card, you are probably not on the list. So just:

  • Get a copy of your License of Occupation (LOO) from the office (as evidence that you are a long-term campsite holder)
  • Fill it out and take it with ID and LOO to the Civic Centre (Leslie St. & Mount Albert Rd.) on weekdays between 8:30am and 4:30pm. If you do this by October 19, you will be added to the voter’s list.
    • Or you can simply take the form (with ID and LOO) to an advanced poll or to the polling station on election day (Oct.22) and present it there.

Vote Early

Even if you live far away, you can vote at one of the advanced polls. (some are on weekends) There are advanced polls on October 6, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. A complete list is found here: http://www.eastgwillimbury.ca/Government/Municipal_Election/Important_Dates.htm

Know the candidates