Voter Information

Am I Eligible to Vote?

You are eligible to vote if, on Election Day, you are:

• A Canadian citizen; 
• At least 18 years old; 
• A resident in the Town of Whitby or the owner or tenant of land in the Town, or the spouse of such owner or tenant (see below for additional information); and, 
• Not prohibited from voting under any law. 

How do I qualify to vote?

1. As a resident elector if you live in the municipality. You may own, rent, live in shared accommodation where you do not pay rent or live in the municipality but do not have a fixed address. Being a resident elector is the most common type of eligibility.
2. As a non-resident elector if you own or rent property in a municipality, but it’s not the one where you live. You can only be a resident elector in 1 municipality. However, you can be a non-resident elector in any other municipality (or municipalities) where you own or rent property.
3. As the spouse of a non-resident elector if your spouse owns or rents property in the municipality or municipalities other than the one where you live.

Neither you nor your spouse qualify as a non-resident elector if you do not personally own or rent the property in the municipality. For example, if the property is owned by your business or your cottage is owned by a trust, you would not qualify as a non-resident elector. 

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 (that is, you plan on returning there), then you are eligible to vote in both your “home” municipality and in the municipality where you live while attending school.

Not sure if you're eligible?

If you are unsure whether you qualify to vote in Whitby, please contact the Office of the Town Clerk at elections@whitby.ca for assistance before Voting Day.

Am I on the Voters' List?

he Voters’ List includes the names of those who are eligible to vote in Whitby’s 2026 Municipal Election.

Beginning September 1, 2026, you can check whether you are on the Voters' List and submit an Application to Amend the Voters' List to update your information, add or remove your name, or request the removal of a deceased elector.

An Application to Amend the Voters' List may be submitted starting September 1, 2026 through any of the following means:

• Online, by the applicant, through Plan Your Vote until 4:30 p.m. on October 23, 2026.
• By email, by the applicant, to elections@whitby.ca until 4:30 p.m. on October 23, 2026.
• By mail, by the applicant, to the Town Clerk, Town of Whitby, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby, ON L1N 2M8. Note: Electors returning an Application to Amend the Voters' List by mail should account for appropriate mailing time to ensure their application is received prior to 4:30 p.m. on October 23, 2026.
• In person, by the applicant or his or her agent at:
  • the Office of the Town Clerk, Town Hall, on October 26, 2026 during regular business hours.
  • any Voting Location during the Advance Vote or on Voting Day.

Will I Receive a Voter Notification Card?

If your name is on the voters’ list, you will receive a voter notification card from the Town of Whitby in the mail. These will be sent out in October 2026. Your card will show the voting dates and locations in addition to your ward, school support, and qualifying address. 

Be sure to bring your voter notification card with you to the voting location. It will speed up the time it takes you to vote by making it easy for the election official to find you on the voters' list. 

What Do I Need to Bring to Vote?

Prior to attending your selected voting location, please bring the following documents with you:

1. Mandatory - One piece of identification showing your name and Whitby address. Acceptable identification is prescribed by the Province under Ontario Regulation 304/13 (Municipal Elections Act, 1996).
2. Recommended - Your Voter Notification Card (if you received one).
3. Optional - Your voting plan generated from Plan Your Vote. This is a confidential plan generated for your use only. Do not show it to anyone! Keep the candidates you are voting for confidential.

Who Can I Vote For?

In the municipal election, you vote for candidates running for Town Council and school board trustee positions.

Offices on the Ballot

Your ballot will include the office of Mayor, the offices of Regional and Local Councillor based on your ward, and the office(s) of school board trustee based on your school support as noted on the Voters' List. For a full list of offices and positions to be elected, see below.

How Do I Use the Plan Your Vote Tool?

Plan Your Vote is the Town of Whitby’s online election information tool. When the Voters' List becomes available on September 1, 2026, electors can use Plan Your Vote to add or correct their information on the Voters' List and build a voting plan by selecting their preferred voting location and adding the candidates they wish to vote for.  

Important: Your voting plan is a confidential document. Do not show it to anyone! To protect the secrecy of the vote, the Town of Whitby does not retain any information about your voting plan.

Prior to Plan Your Vote going live on September 1, you can view candidates who have filed a nomination by visiting the "Who is Running?" page. You can also view voting options below under "Ways to Vote".

Special Mail-In Ballots

A Special Mail-in Ballot allows you to vote by mail instead of attending a voting location. This option is ideal if you are unable to vote during advance voting or on voting day.

How it works

1. Apply for a mail-in ballot beginning September 1, 2026
   Note: The “Application for Special Mail-in Ballot” will be available on this webpage on September 1, 2026.
   Complete the “Application for Special Mail-in Ballot” and submit the form by any of the following means during the dates and times specified:
   
   • in-person during regular business hours to the Office of the Town Clerk, Town Hall,
     575 Rossland Road East, between September 1, 2026 and October 21, 2026 at 4:30
     p.m.;
   • by mail to the attention of the Office of the Town Clerk, Town Hall, 575 Rossland
     Road East, Whitby, ON, L1N 2M8 between September 1, 2026 and October 4, 2026;
     or,
   • by email to elections@whitby.ca between September 1, 2026 and October 11, 2026. 
2. Receive your voting kit
   Once your application is approved, a voting kit with instructions and your ballot will be issued as follows:
   • by mail on or after October 5, 2026 and before October 13, 2026; or,
   • by providing to the elector in-person if the form was submitted in-person on or after October 5, 2026 but before October 21, 2026 at 4:30 p.m.
3. Mark your ballot
   Complete your ballot following the instructions included in your kit.
4. Return your ballot
   Return your completed voting kit by the deadline, either:
   • in-person during regular office hours to the Office of the Town Clerk, Town Hall, 575 Rossland Road East, on or before October 26, 2026 at 4:30 p.m.; or,
   • by mail using the prepaid Canada Post envelope provided on or before October 18, 2026. Note: Electors returning Special Mail-in Ballots from outside Canada are strongly encouraged to allow additional mailing time to ensure their ballot is received prior to Voting Day.

Voter's Guide

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's 2026 Voters' Guide provides more information about elections and who is eligible to vote. Access the Voters' Guide below.