Internet and Telephone Voting

Who will get a Voter Instruction Letter (VIL) with a PIN to vote in the

election?

All qualified electors on the official Municipal Elector's List provided by the Township.

What if my name is not on the Elector List?

Eligible electors who are not on the official Elector List will have to go to the Voter Help

Centre located at the Township Office and complete the required form to have their name added to the Elector List. Once this is completed you will be given a VIL by the Election Official.

What should I do if I receive a VIL and I am not a qualified elector at the qualifying address noted in the letter?

If you receive a VIL and are not a qualified elector at the qualifying address noted in the letter, DO NOT use the credentials contained in the letter to vote. Instead, please return the letter to the Voter Help Centre located at the Township Office.

It is illegal to represent yourself as an eligible elector when you are not and vote. It is also illegal to open another person's mail and/or represent yourself as another person and steal their right to vote. All of these acts carry serious penalties, as defined by law. Please see the list of corrupt practices and statutory provisions regulating voting procedures:

• Notice of Offence – Corrupt Practice
• Statutory Provisions Regulating Voting Procedures

When should I expect to receive my PIN in the mail?

Individual PINs will be mailed to eligible electors so that they are received approximately

three to five days prior to the first voting day. This will sometime within the first two

weeks of October, 2022.

What if I don't get a PIN in the mail by Election Day?

If you are an eligible elector and on the official Elector List, but you did not get a PIN in the

mail by the start of the election period, you can request a replacement PIN. If the Election

Official's records indicate you were sent a PIN in the mail then the original PIN will be disabled

and cannot be used to cast a vote in the election. A replacement PIN will be issued to you if

the original PIN has not been voted and you provide appropriate identification.

Why would I not get a PIN in the mail?

If you didn't get a PIN in the mail one of two things may have happened. First, your name

was not on the official Elector List. PINs are only mailed to electors whose names appear on

the official Elector List as supplied by the municipality. Secondly, a PIN may have been mailed

to you and it has been delayed for some reason in the mail system.

Can anyone tell how I voted if they know my PIN?

No. The system does not track how a particular PIN has voted, only that the PIN has been

used to cast a vote.

Once I have my PIN, do I have to register in advance if I want to use either the telephone or the Internet to cast my vote?

No, there is no registration required. During the election period, using your PIN, you can use

either the telephone or the Internet to cast your vote.

What if I lose or misplace my PIN?

If an elector loses or misplaces their PIN they should contact the Voter Help Centre

located at the Township Office. The Election Official can decide to replace the missing PIN if it has not already been voted. The Voter would then travel to the Voter Help Centre, sign a form, and the Election Official will then replace the missing PIN. The original lost or missing PIN will then be

disabled and it will not be able to be voted in the election.

How do I access the voting system?

Voting instructions will be included in the Voter Instruction letter mailed to each eligible

elector on the official Elector List. Included in this information are instructions on how to access

the voting system. Voters using personal computers will use the Internet to visit a website that

will allow them entry into the voting system where they can cast their vote. Alternatively, voters

can cast their ballot using the telephone or cell phone by calling a toll-free number.

Once I enter my PIN and start my voting process do I have to complete all the races on the ballot in one session? For example, what if I am interrupted and have to hang up the phone for some reason or, if I am voting using the Internet and have to leave my session?

No, you do not have to vote all the races on your ballot at one time uninterrupted. You can

disconnect from the Internet or the telephone and re-connect later, re-enter your PIN, and

complete your voting activity at that time. In fact, if you find it more convenient, you can switch

from one method to the other and complete your voting using the other method. For example,

you can start your voting on the Internet and at some point close your Internet session, and

then later re-start the voting process and re-enter your PIN using your phone or cell phone and

complete your ballot.

What happens if I access the voting system and am presented with

incorrect candidates for my Ward?

The list of candidates presented to you as a voter is determined by your place of residence

as defined on the Elector List. If you have moved and your new address was not updated on

the Elector List, (and your Voter Instruction letter and PIN were forwarded to your new

address), then you will see the list of candidates associated with your old place of residence.

You should contact the Voter Help Centre and the Election Official will authenticate you and, if

satisfied, can then electronically “re-categorize” the PIN. The correct list of candidates will be

presented to you once you re-connect to the voting system.

What do I do if I am not sure if I completed a race or the ballot?

During the voting period you can connect to the voting system and enter your PIN. If you

have yet to complete all ballots assigned to you, the system will begin where you left off - at

the next race you are eligible to complete. When you have completed voting all ballots

assigned to you, entering your PIN online in the voting system during the voting period will

display a message containing your vote status. This message will advise if you have

completed voting. You can also contact the Voter Help Centre to get more information.

If I am using the telephone to vote, how will I know what number to press to vote for the candidate of my choice or what if I make a mistake and select a different candidate than the one I want to vote for?

The Voter Instruction Letter mailed to you has the list of candidates included on it for your

reference purpose. In addition, each time the system presents you with a race to vote for, it

lists the eligible candidates running for that position and instructs you to select the

corresponding number for that candidate. You may also clear your ballot selections and start

over.

Once a vote has been confirmed, can it be changed?

No. Once a vote has been confirmed, it cannot be changed. This process is the same as

dropping the ballot into the ballot box in a traditional paper based election, which ensures

complete voter anonymity and secrecy of the ballot. The system does not know how the ballot

was voted, only that the PIN was used in the election to cast a vote and thus it cannot be

removed from the vote count.

How do I vote if I am away from home, out of town, out of the province, or out of the country?

You can vote during the election voting period using the Internet from anywhere in the

world. You can also use telephone service and connect to the voting system toll free from

anywhere in North America simply by dialing the toll-free number contained in your Voter

Instruction letter.

What if I have a rotary phone at home, no cell phone and don't have a computer with Internet service. How can I vote?

You do not have to vote from home. You can vote from virtually any location using any

phone with touch tone service or from any computer. Please contact the Voter Help Centre if

you require more information.

If someone calls me and asks for my PIN, what should I do?

You should treat your voting PIN with the same level of secrecy and confidentially you

reserve for your bank card and PIN. Do not give your PIN to anyone who may call or approach

you for the number.

What do I do if the phone line is busy when I call and try to vote?

If the phone lines are busy, simply hang up and call back a short time later. The voting

system is capable of handling a significant volume of calls simultaneously but there is always

the possibility that many voters are attempting to call in the same timeframe. Voters will be

able to connect to the system over the course of a number of days during the voting period.

Could someone steal my PIN and vote it?

Stealing and opening another person's mail is illegal. It is also illegal to represent yourself

as another person and steal their right to vote in an election. Both these acts are illegal and

have penalties defined by law.

If you know someone has voted your PIN illegally, you should report it to the Election Official

immediately. You can obtain a replacement PIN to cast your vote by presenting yourself to the

Election Official and swearing an affidavit that the PIN assigned to you was not voted by you,

but by someone else.

If I am a voter with a disability such as deafness, blindness, or a mobility, disability, can someone help me with the voting process?

Electronic voting allows increased rights of privacy to voters with physical challenges that

make traditional voting at polling stations more difficult. Blind voters can make use of the

telephone and deaf voters can use the Internet to vote with little or no assistance required from

others. Please contact the Voter Help Centre if you require more information.

Would it be possible for me to be sent more than one PIN?

If you received more than one PIN it is because your name appeared on the Elector List

more than once. This rare situation might occur if you changed your place of residence and

have been enumerated in both locations or you own property and are the registered resident at

both locations. You are only permitted to vote once and you should only cast a vote using the

PIN associated with your primary place of residence. Please contact the Election Official of the

additional PIN and they will disable this PIN rendering it unusable for the election.

Where will the “Voter Help Centre” be located during the election period?

The Voter Help Centre will be located at the Township Office, 90 Loveys Street East,

Hickson.

Is there a polling station I can go to?

Similar to the previous Vote-By-Mail elections, there will be no polling stations for the 2022 election. However, voting can be done from home or virtually anywhere else in the world with access to Internet or Telephone, and the use of a personal computer, mobile phone or tablet. Public Internet access is available in the Township at the Tavistock and Innerkip Library branches, during their regular hours of operation.

If I still have questions regarding Internet and Telephone voting, who should I contact?

If you have any further questions at all, please contact:

Will Jaques, Township Clerk

Township of East Zorra-Tavistock 

PO Box 100, 90 Loveys Street E, Hickson, ON N0J 1L0

519-462-2697