Voters in Ottawa and in municipalities across Ontario will have their chance to have a say today as the 176-day municipal election campaign hits the finish line. It’s municipal election day in Ottawa, with polling stations open between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. for residents to cast a ballot for a mayor, councillor and school board trustee. In Ottawa, there are 181 candidates on the ballot running for mayor, councillor and school board trustee in the four school boards. Fourteen candidates are running for mayor in Ottawa. Approximately 10 per cent of Ottawa’s 868,248 eligible voters already cast ballots during the Special Advance Voting and Advance Voting Days and through mail-in voting. The City of Ottawa says 59,093 votes were cast during the Advance Voting Day on Oct. 16, while 27,553 votes were cast during the four days of Special Advance Voting between Oct. 1 and 4. A total of 2,957 ballots were received through the mail by the Oct. 16 deadline. CTVNewsOttawa.ca will have full coverage of the municipal election today, with results coming in after the voting stations close at 8 p.m. CTV News Ottawa looks at what you need to know to vote in today’s Ottawa municipal election. When can I vote? Polling stations will be open between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. 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.
