Voter Information

To vote in the 2026 Municipal and School Board election, you must be:

• a Canadian citizen; and
• at least 18 years old; and
• a resident of St. Catharines; or
• a non-resident of the city of St. Catharines, but you or your spouse own or rent property in St. Catharines; and
• not prohibited from voting under any law.

You may only vote once regardless of how many properties you own or rent within the city. You must vote in the ward where you live. If you are also the owner or tenant of a property in another ward, you are not permitted to vote in that ward instead.

You are prohibited from voting if you are:

• serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution;
• a corporation;
• acting as executor or trustee or in another representative capacity, except as a voting proxy;
• convicted of a corrupt practice described in section 90(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996

Voting day for the municipal and school board election is October 26, 2026. Choose to vote at any of the three polls located in your ward. Polls will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Advanced polls are scheduled throughout the month of October. Choose to vote at any advance poll that is most convenient for you, regardless of the ward that you reside in. Electors who require accessible voting equipment are encouraged to vote at any one of the advance voting opportunities.

Vote-by-mail will also be offered as an alternative method of voting. Vote-by-mail is the only remote method that fully upholds all principles of the legislation as paper ballots are used and it closely resembles the traditional paper method. A portal will be available for residents who wish to register using this method. Please monitor our election page and website for updates.

Where to Vote - All polls are open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you do not receive a voter notification card, you can add yourself to the voters’ list when you vote in person during advance voting or on election day. You must meet eligibility requirements and show ID when you vote, even if you are on the voters’ list.

Elections Ontario maintains the Permanent Register of Electors for Ontario, also known as the “voters' list” or “register.”

The voters' list contains information for individuals eligible to vote in provincial and local municipal elections in Ontario. Learn more about the voter's list on Election Ontario's Register to Vote page, including how to:

• Register voters 
• Register absentee voters 
• Register future voters

Use the Elections Ontario Register to Vote application to:

• Confirm, update or add your name and home address 
• Search, add or remove a property other than your home address 
• Remove yourself from the register 
• Remove a deceased person from the register 
• Check the status of a request

If you or your spouse own or rent property other than your home address in Ontario, you might be eligible to vote in more than one municipal election.

If you are an eligible elector, you may appoint another person to vote on your behalf. This person is known as a “proxy” voter. This person must be a qualified elector and someone you trust to vote on your behalf. You cannot appoint more than one voting proxy or act as a voting proxy for more than one other person. However, this restriction does not apply if the proxy and the other person are spouses or siblings of each other, parent and child, or grandparent and grandchild.

The Form 3 - Appointment of Voting Proxy is available for download Form 3 - Appointment of Voting Proxy.

Please note that Election Officials at the voting place or location will not accept uncertified, faxed or photocopied proxy certificates at the voting place.

The following rules apply to the issuance of Proxy Certificates:

• Only original signatures will be accepted on the proxy forms.
• Identification or proof of qualifying address for both the person appointed as the voting proxy and the elector making the appointment must be provided to the City Clerk or designate.
• The name of the person appointed as the voting proxy must be filled in on the form at the time it is signed by the elector who is appointing the proxy.
• The proxy certificate will be officially certified by the City Clerk or designate. This service will be available at all polling locations.
• The proxy certificate is a public document and may be inspected by any person during the election process.
• The appointment does not remain in effect after Voting Day of the Municipal Election.

 Acceptable documents for voter identification are listed below. 

 You must present one of the following documents showing your name and address:

• Ontario driver’s licence
• Ontario Health Card (photo card)
• Ontario Photo Card
• Ontario motor vehicle permit (vehicle portion)
• cancelled personalized cheque
• mortgage statement, lease or rental agreement relating to property in Ontario
• insurance policy or insurance statement
• loan agreement or other financial agreement with a financial institution
• document issued or certified by a court in Ontario
• any other document from the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or from an agency or such a government
• any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada)
• income tax assessment notice
• child tax benefit statement
• statement of employment insurance benefits paid T4E
• statement of old age security T4A (OAS)
• statement of Canada Pension Plan benefits T4A(P)
• Canada Pension Plan statement of contributions
• statement of direct deposit for Ontario Works
• statement of direct deposit for Ontario Disability Support Program
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board statement of benefits T5007
• property tax assessment
• credit card statement, bank account statement, or RRSP, RRIF, RHOSP or T5 statement
• CNIB Card or a card from another registered charitable organization that provides services to persons with disabilities
• hospital card or record
• document showing campus residence, issued by the office or officials responsible for student residence at a post-secondary institution
• document showing residence at a long-term care home under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, issued by the Administrator for the home
• utility bill for hydro, water, gas, telephone or cable TV or a bill from a public utilities commission
• cheque stub, T4 statement or pay receipt issued by an employer
• transcript or report card from a post-secondary school

This list is subject to change, please see a complete list here.

Voter Notification Card

If you are on the Voters’ List, you will be mailed a voter notification card. It is helpful if you bring your voter notification card with you to the polls but it cannot be used as proof of identity. You will still be required to show proof of acceptable identification. 

If you did not receive a voter notification card, you may still be eligible to vote and can be added at a voting location with proof of acceptable identification.