New for this municipal election, you can vote-by-mail in St. Catharines (other municipalities have other options).
The deadline to submit your application to vote-by-mail is in less than one month (from the time of writing this) on September 15, 2022.
Opting to vote-by-mail will permit eligible voters to cast their ballots without having to physically attend a voting location (on Election Day or at Advance Polls), which makes it an especially good option for anyone planning to be away during October or anyone concerned about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and still wishing to avoid as many public spaces as possible.
Your Vote-by-Mail package will include:
- A declaration form to be signed in order for your vote to count
- An official ballot
- A ballot secrecy envelope
- A pre-paid return envelope
Once an elector request has been received for a vote-by-mail package, the request will be processed and packages will be mailed in late September by regular mail.
Completed return packages can be mailed back using the prepaid envelope through Canada Post or deposited into a secure mail-in voting drop box at either of these locations beginning on October 11, 2022:
- City Hall, 3rd Floor Clerk’s Office
- Seymour-Hannah Sports & Entertainment Centre
- St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatic Centre
Completed packages must be received by the Clerk’s Office on October 24, 2022 at 4:30 p.m.
You can find a Vote-by-Mail tutorial video and make your application to vote-by-mail here.
*Note: I’m told that the application works much better on a computer than a phone.
If you’re looking for more voter information, including how to find out if you’re on the Voters’ List; how many candidates you can elect for each office; how to vote by proxy; what ward you’re in; and voting locations, you can find it here.
Laura Ip - Regional Councillor 