Tomorrow, June 2, is election day for the province of Ontario. As with any election, it is important to get out and vote. One vote may seem inconsequential in the context of millions of others, but no vote is ever meaningless. The collective task of voting, in which we engage every federal, provincial, and municipal election, is one that has strength in numbers, meaning that each and every vote counts.
Voting is meant to be an easy process, with Elections Ontario staff on site and available for guidance at polling stations, but pre-planning is still a good idea. Each eligible voter must go to a specifically assigned voting location, which is determined based on where they live. This voting location is indicated on the voter card sent to each voter by mail prior to the election. If you have not received a voter card, this is likely due to a recent address change or an administrative error. This is no reason to panic – it simply means that when going to your nearest polling station, you will need to bring proof of your current address in addition to photo identification. If necessary, you can update your personal information when you go to vote.
North Grenville will have several polling stations, which are specifically assigned to voters based on their residential address. The province’s “Voter Information Service” is an online tool which provides voters with useful information, including when and where they can vote based on their address. Voter registration can also be viewed online, allowing voters to check what information is on file, if any. If no information is on file, this is an indication that you are not on the official voter’s list, but you can still vote with the proper identification. It is too late to update this information online, but this can still be done when you go to vote. These online tools, as well as a complete list of local election candidates, can be found by clicking the relevant links on the Elections Ontario website at https://www.elections.on.ca/en.html.
Anyone seeking information on the local candidates in Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes should start by looking at the May 25 edition of the North Grenville Times, which features interviews between David Shanahan and local candidates. These interviews can also be found online at ngtimes.ca, and focus on some of the key local issues that will be sure to influence the decisions of voters in North Grenville. For even more information, party platforms can be found online through a search. Don’t forget to vote – your vote matters!
