Information for Voters

You can vote in Tay Valley's municipal election if you are:

• a Canadian Citizen; and

• at least 18 years old; and

• a resident in Tay Valley Township; or

• a non-resident of Tay Valley Township but you or your spouse own or rent property in the Township; and

• are not prohibited from voting under any law.

You may only vote once in Tay Valley Township's municipal election regardless of how many properties you own or rent in the township. You must vote in the ward where you live.

An owner or tenant of non-residential property, or his or her spouse, is not eligible to vote for School Board Trustee.

Post-Secondary Students

There is a special rule for students who may be living away from home while they attend school. If you are a student and consider your "home" to be the place where you live when you are not attending school, which means you plan on returning there, then you are eligible to vote in both your "home" municipality and in the municipality where you currently live while attending school.

You cannot vote on voting day if you are:

• a person serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution; or

• a corporation; or

• a person acting as executor or trustee or in any other representative capacity; or

• a person convicted of a corrupt practice for an election held within four years of voting day.

In order to vote in a school board election you must be 18 years of age or older, and a Canadian citizen. If you are a resident of the Township, you are eligible to vote for school board trustees. If you are the owner or tenant (or spouse of an owner of tenant) of residential property in the Township, you are eligible to vote for school trustees. You are only allowed to vote for the same school board once.

If you are eligible to vote in a municipality because you are the owner or tenant (or spouse of an owner or tenant) of a commercial property there, you are not eligible to vote for a school trustee.

There are four different kinds of school boards in Ontario:

English language public school board

This is the default - unless you are qualified to vote for a separate or French board, you will vote for the English public school board in your area.

English language separate school board

You must be Roman Catholic, and you must be a separate school board supporter or the spouse of a separate school board supporter. If your spouse is a Roman Catholic and you are not, you are not eligible.

French language public school board

You must be a French language rights holder, and you must be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter) of the French language public school board.

French language separate school board

You must be a Roman Catholic and a French language rights holder, and you must be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter) of the French separate school board. If your spouse is a Roman Catholic and you are not, you are not eligible.

"Supporter" refers to which school board the school portion of your property taxes goes to. The default is the public school system. In order to be a separate school supporter you must direct your taxes to the separate school system. Contact the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (1-866-296-6722) for more information.

Property owners in Ontario are required to support a school board, even if they do not have children or their children are not currently attending school. In the case of a residential property occupied by tenants, the tenants can direct the school support for that property. By default, school support is directed to your municipality’s English Public School Board.

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is legislatively required to collect school support information and provide it in the assessment roll to every municipality and school board. By ensuring that you are supporting the school board of your choosing, you will be able to vote in the next municipal and school board election for trustees in that school board.  

Property owners, occupants, and tenants can update their school support designation online at mpac.ca/schoolsupport.

The Township maintains the Voter’s List that is used for the municipal election that happens every four years. In order to receive voting information and to be able to vote you must be on the Voter’s List. Since there are eligibility requirements to be able to vote, the Township cannot add someone to the list without them declaring that they meet those requirements. Which are:

A person is entitled to vote in the Municipal Election if on Voting Day he or she,

• resides in the local municipality, or is the owner or tenant of land in the local municipality, or the spouse of such owner or tenant;

• is a Canadian citizen;

• is at least 18 years old; and

• is not prohibited from voting under subsection 17(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 or otherwise, by law.

If you are eligible to vote in 2022, please fill out, sign and return the EL15 form and provide a commissioned photocopy of your driver’s licence. One form for every eligible voter must be submitted.

Form EL15

Members will be elected for a 4 year period.

In the 2026 election, members will be elected for a 4 year period beginning November 15, 2026 and ending November 14, 2030 for the following offices:

Township Council:

• Reeve (one is elected by all electors of the municipality)

• Deputy Reeve (one is elected by all electors of the municipality)

• Councillors (six to be elected by wards - two from each ward)

School Board Trustees:

• English District School Board (one to be elected by public school electors of the municipality)

• English District Separate School Board (one to be elected by separate school electors of the municipality)

• French Language District School Board (one to be elected by French language separate school electors)

• French Language District Separate School Board (one to be elected by French language electors within the municipality)

• Form EL15
• Voter Identification
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing - Voters' Guide
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing - Municipal Elections
• Internet and Telephone Voting - Questions and Answers
• Video - On-Line Voting Demo (still to come)
• Video - Phone Voting Demo (still to come)