Online voting for Kingston, Ont. municipal election gets underway Oct. 5

While politicians are making their case as to why they deserve your support, members of the electorate in Kingston, Ont., can start voting online as early as Wednesday, right up until election day on Oct. 24.

To cast a ballot online or in person you do have to be a registered voter, and you can find that out on the city’s website.

The online form doesn’t require much more than your name and address, but you can also register by phone or in person at city hall.

“Anybody who comes down in person with their identification, we can process their information on the spot and provide them with their voter information notice,” says City of Kingston Assistant Returning Officer Janet Jaynes.

Appropriate identification, whether it’s to register or vote in person, isn’t as stringent as needing a photo ID like a drivers’ licence.

“It can be a utility bill that shows your name and address, a cancelled cheque that shows your name and address,” says Jaynes.

A full list of acceptable identification is available on the city’s website.

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In-person advanced polls will be open Oct. 18-22, at Rideau Heights Community Centre, Kingston East Community Centre, Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, Invista Centre, Isabel Turner Library and Central Library.

Hours that the advance polling locations are open varies depending on which day you choose.

“The voting locations are what we call ‘vote anywhere,’ so that means any elector in the city of Kingston can go to any one of those six locations and cast their ballot.”

That’s new for this year’s 2022 municipal election in Kingston, but on election day, you do have to vote in your district.

“We will have accessible voting equipment at every single voting location on advance days and on voting day and we will have an American Sign Language interpreter at the Invista Centre voting location on Saturday, Oct. 22.”

On election day and advance polling days you can get free Kingston Transit or Kingston Access Bus to your polling station by presenting your voter information notice, although a Kingston Access Bus must be booked in advance.