Ontario’s provincial election is on June 2nd, and we encourage all members who are eligible to exercise their right to vote.
If you have moved since the previous election, ensure your voter registration is up to date by May 23rd in order to receive your voter information card by mail.
There are three ways to vote.
Election Day (in person)
Voting hours on June 2nd are 9am-9pm EST.
Under the Ontario Election Act, all employees who are qualified to vote are entitled to three consecutive hours free from work during polling hours in which to cast their vote. If an employee’s scheduled hours of work do not allow for three consecutive hours free from work within this twelve-hour voting window, the employee may request for time off.
As such, if you are normally required to work hours that would not give you a three-hour period to cast your ballot, you may request time to do so. For example, if voting is open between 9am and 9pm, but you are normally in the hospital until 6:30pm, you may request to leave 30 minutes early in order to secure three hours to vote between 6-9pm. Note that this does not mean you are entitled to take three hours off work if you are already free from clinical duties for three hours or more during hours the polls are open.
If you anticipate a need to be released from clinical duties in order to vote, we encourage you to request that time as soon as possible so that the service can make arrangements to cover any absences. All absences must be approved, taking into account patient care needs and professional responsibilities.
Advance Voting (in person)
Advance voting locations are open 10am-8pm EST.
You can also vote in person at your returning office until 6pm on June 1st.
Locations of polling stations, advance polls, and your local returning office are available on Elections Ontario’s Website.
Vote by Mail
To vote by mail, complete the application by 6pm EST on May 27th. Your ballot must be received by 6pm EST on June 2nd to be counted, so if you are planning to vote by mail, we urge you to complete your application as soon as possible.
In preparation for casting your ballot, we encourage you to review the candidates in your riding, and to familiarize yourself with the party platforms (available on party websites).