Image via Getty/Steve Russell/Toronto Star
Happy Election Day, Ontario! If you haven’t already made it out to the polls, you should go out and exercise your democratic right. Not sure about where to vote, where the leaders stand, or are just generally unsure about what’s going on as a whole? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a jargon-free, straightforward breakdown of all the basics you should know before you go and vote for your choice of Premier.
How Can I Vote?
Polls are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today. In order to vote, you’ll need to bring your voter card and a piece of ID. If you didn’t get your voter card in the mail, two pieces of ID will work just fine. Some examples of appropriate ID are a diver’s license, your passport, your purple photo card, among many other things. For the most part, it’s OK if you don’t have photo ID, or if the photo on your ID doesn’t match your current look or gender expression. Check the Elections Ontario website for more guidance.
If you’re not on the voters list, all you have to do is bring a piece of ID with your name and address, sign a declaration, and then you’ll be issued your ballot. Then, you place an “X” beside the candidate you want to vote for. Easy peasy!
While voting for the most part usually takes less than ten minutes, you may want to check how many polls are in your riding to give yourself ample time—some ridings have less polling stations than usual this time around.
Where Do I Vote?
If a voter card was sent to you, the polling station you’ve been assigned to vote at will be printed right on it.
If you don’t have a voter card, you can use this handy tool to punch in your postal code to see which polling station to go to.
Where Do the Leaders Currently Stand?
According to the latest survey conducted for CP24 and CTV News shows current Premier Doug Ford in the lead with 38.8 percent support. If those numbers are correct, it’s likely Ford will come out of this election with another majority government. The Liberals have 26.3 percent support, and the NDP are creeping up behind them with 24.7 percent.
What’s interesting about this election is that the Liberal Party doesn’t currently have party status in Ontario after Kathleen Wynne’s loss in 2018 left the Liberals with only 7 seats—to have party status, you must have at least 12. While the Liberals are likely going to regain their party status, some say the real battle this election is to see who will be the Official Opposition. The NDP currently hold that position after coming in second last election.
Who Should I Vote For?
Well, we really can’t tell you who to vote for, can we?
While some may say strategic voting is the way to go, this strategy ignores all of the smaller parties in the province. It’s probably just best if you vote for the party that best aligns with your beliefs. If you’re not sure who that is, you can take this Vote Compass quiz which will give you a pretty good idea of where you stand politically.
If you don’t want to rely on a quiz, The Globe and Mail sums every party’s campaign pretty well.
Where Can I Watch the Results Roll In?
Ah, election night. The time to cozy up with your vice of choice and commiserate (or celebrate, depending on who you are)! If you’re someone who likes to see the results roll in live with some choice political commentary, most Canadian news channels with air the results. CBC, CTV News, and CP24 are all good choices. If you don’t have cable, check their websites to see if there’s a livestream.
If you’d rather see the map of Ontario update on its own as the results come in, CTV News will be updating their map live throughout the night.