A person is entitled to vote in a municipal election if, on Voting Day, they:
- Reside in the local municipality, or are the owner or tenant of land in the municipality, or the spouse of such owner or tenant; and
- Are a Canadian citizen;
- Are at least 18 years old; and
- Are not prohibited from voting under the Municipal Elections Act or otherwise prohibited by law.
Resident Elector
A resident elector is a person who lives and is eligible to vote in that municipality’s election. A person is only allowed to have one residence.
A person’s residence is the permanent lodging place to which, whenever absent, he or she intends to return.
The following rules apply in determining a person’s residence:
- A person may only have one residence at a time;
- The place where a person’s family resides is also their residence, unless they moves elsewhere with the intention of changing their permanent lodging place;
- If a person has no other permanent lodging place, the place where they occupy a room or part of a room as a regular lodger, to which they habitually return, is their residence.
Non-Resident Elector
If a person lives in one municipality but owns or rents property in another municipality, then they are a non-resident elector and able to vote in that municipality’s election.
Spouse of Non-Resident Elector
If a person lives in one municipality and qualifies as a spouse of a non-resident elector, then they are able to vote in that municipality’s election.
Students
A person may have residences in two local municipalities at the same time if the person lives in one of the local municipalities in order to attend an education institution but not with the intention of changing their permanent lodging place, and the person’s permanent lodging place is in the other local municipality.
Therefore, students can vote in the municipality where they attend school and they can also vote in the municipality where they live.
Trailer Owners – Campgrounds
Trailer owners in campgrounds are tenants of the campground – therefore, they are potentially eligible electors. Under a timeshare contract, to be eligible, the person must be entitled to use the land on Voting Day, or for a period of six weeks or more during the calendar year in which the election is held.
