The Township of Wainfleet will be holding the 2022 Municipal Election on Monday, October 24, 2022. As in previous years, the election will be conducted through Vote-by-Mail and there will be no advance polls or proxy voting with our Vote-by-Mail Election.
Ballot Kits Have Been Mailed
Vote-by-Mail Ballot Kits have been mailed to all eligible electors on the Voters' List and should be delivered to all voters by Friday October 7, 2022. Completed Ballot Kits must be returned by electors to the Township Offices by 8:00 pm on Monday, October 24, 2022.
In order to ensure that ballots are returned in time to be counted on Voting Day, electors are asked to please place completed Ballot Kits in the return mail by Thursday, October 13, 2022.
Completed Ballot Kits may also be personally delivered directly to the Township Offices anytime the offices are open (8:30 am - 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday) or in the after-hours mail drop box located at our front door. You don't have to wait until Voting Day - it doesn't hurt to return your completed Ballot Kits early! And by personally delivering your completed kit - you can be assured that your vote will be counted.
Voting Day Special Ballot Drop-off Location
On Voting Day (Monday, October 24, 2022) only, completed Ballot Kits may also be returned to the Moore Room in the Wainfleet Arena, 31917 Park Street, from 10:00 am until the close of voting at 8:00 pm.
What If I Don't Get a Ballot?
If an eligible elector has not received their Vote-by-Mail Ballot Kit by Friday, October 7, 2022, please contact the Clerk's Department at (905) 899-3463, ext. 275, to investigate.
What if I Get a Ballot for Someone Not at my Address?
If you receive a Vote-by-Mail Ballot Kit at your residence for someone who should not be there, please do not open the kit. It is actually a serious offense under the Criminal Code of Canada to open or use a ballot kit if you are not the intended addressee. Instead, simply write "RETURN" on the outside of the envelope and return it to the Township Offices at your earliest convenience (via return mail or drop-off). The information that we use for our Voters' List is provided to us by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. For persons wishing to remove occupant names that should no longer be associated with a property/unit, please contact the MPAC Customer Contact Centre:
Toll Free: 1-866-296-6722 TTY: 1-877-889-6722 Monday to Friday - 8 am to 5 pm
Instructions for Completing Your Ballot Kit
For instructions on how to complete your return ballot package, you can also view Online Video: Instructions for Completing your Return Ballot Package here.
Note: Every returned Ballot must be accompanied by a signed voter Declaration Form. An unsigned or missing Declaration Form will result in a spoiled/rejected ballot. MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT! Return your Ballot (sealed in the provided Secrecy Envelope) along with your signed voter Declaration Form to the Township by 8:00 pm on October 24, 2022.
You don’t have to wait until Voting Day! Completed Ballot Kits may be personally delivered directly to the Township Offices anytime the offices are open (8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday) or in the after-hours mail drop box located at our front door. It doesn’t hurt to return your completed Ballot Kits early! And by personally delivering your completed kit - you can be assured that your vote will be counted.
Why are we using Vote-by-Mail?
- Ease and convenience for voters—you can vote in the comfort of your home and on your own time.
- It is an accessible way to vote for people with mobility issues.
- It enhances voter safety in a post-pandemic environment.
- You can vote even if you are away on Election Day.
- The Township of Wainfleet, along with many Ontario municipalities successfully conducted their municipal elections in 2018 using Vote-by-Mail - and this year, more and more municipalities are offering Vote-by-Mail.
Is Vote-by-Mail secure?
Vote-by-Mail is a double envelope system that protects the confidentiality of the voter. Just like your other bills and payments, your completed Ballot Kits (in sealed return envelopes) are processed through the Canada Post mail delivery network. When completed Ballot Kits are delivered to us, election staff use the signed voter declarations within the return envelopes to strike voters off the list as having voted. Sealed ballot secrecy envelopes are not opened though – they are separated from the voter declarations and securely stored until Voting Day, when the ballot secrecy envelopes will finally be opened and all ballot counting occurs. The privacy of your vote is assured. It is against the law to vote more than once for any elected office within the same municipality or school board.
