Ontario's 41st Provincial General Election begins

TORONTO, May 7, 2014 /CNW/ - Ontario's Chief Electoral Officer Greg Essensa confirms that Writs were issued to administer a provincial general election on June 12, 2014. "Returning Officers are ready to administer voting for the 41^st Provincial General Election in 107 electoral districts throughout Ontario," said Essensa "and electors have 28 days to vote beginning Thursday, May 15."

Canadian citizens who live in Ontario and are at least 18 years of age or older on election day are eligible to vote in their electoral district of residence. To be added to the Voters List, an elector must show at least one piece of identification that includes their name and residential address.

The candidate nomination period begins Thursday, May 15, 2014 and ends at 2 PM (ET) on Thursday, May 22, 2014.

There are many ways to vote. Electors can vote from 9 AM to 9 PM ET on election day Thursday, June 12, 2014. Electors can vote at an advance poll from 10 AM to 8 PM (ET) Saturday, May 31, 2014 to Friday, June 6, 2014. Assistive voting technology is available at each local returning office.

Electors can vote by special ballot in person at their local returning office or by mail. Electors must apply for their special ballot voting kit no later than 6 PM (ET) on Friday, June 6, 2014. Applications are available at wemakevotingeasy.ca, by phone or at local returning offices.

A blackout on political advertising begins today and ends at 11:59 PM (ET) on Tuesday, May 20, 2014. A second blackout period begins at midnight (ET) on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 and ends at 11:59 PM (ET) on Thursday, June 12, 2014. The publication of election surveys that have not previously been made public is prohibited between midnight (ET) on Wednesday June 11, 2014 and 9 PM (ET) on Thursday June 12, 2014.

For more information about the 41^st Provincial General Election, visit wemakevotingeasy.ca, call 1-888-ONT-VOTE(668-8683), join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and watch us on YouTube.

Elections Ontario is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering provincial elections, by-elections and referenda.

Attachments:
Photo: Greg Essensa, Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario
http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/B_roll/Essensa29.jpg
Cutline: We make voting easy. Greg Essensa, Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario, Elections Ontario

Photo: Voting 1 - http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/B_roll/TPP2.JPG , Voting 2 - http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/B_roll/TPP4.JPG
Photo courtesy of Elections Ontario

Photo: Assistive voting technology -
http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/B_roll/AVT1.JPG
Photo courtesy of Elections Ontario

Photo:  Multiple voting formats for the blind -
http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/B_roll/Voting_Location_Materials_JPG.jpg
Cutline: Elections Ontario makes multiple formats available for voting, such as Braille.
Photo courtesy of Elections Ontario

Fast Facts
GENERAL ELECTIONS

• The first Provincial General Election was held on September 3, 1867
• 82 Members of the Provincial Parliament (MPPs) were elected
• 173 candidates
• 82 electoral districts
• 212,722 voters
• The 40^th Provincial General Election was held on October 6, 2011
• 107 electoral districts (1 MPP for each district)
• 654 candidates
• 8,761,095 registered voters
• 4,336,817 registered voters who voted (48.2%)
• The 41^st Provincial General Election -June 12, 2014
• 107 electoral districts (1 MPP for each district)
• Candidate nominations close at 2 PM on Thursday, May 22, 2104
• 9,257,333 total registered voters (as of March 22, 2014)

Ontario Voter Rights
To be eligible to vote in an Ontario provincial election, you must be a Canadian citizen, a resident of Ontario and at least 18 years of age.

As an eligible voter, you have the right to:

• Vote privately and free of interference
• Vote if you are in line at your voting location prior to the close of the polls (9 PM ET/ 8 PM CT) on election day
• Vote without a Notice of Registration Card (NRC if your name is on the Voters List and you provide valid ID that shows your name. If you do not have ID, you can  complete the Statutory Declaration confirming your identity
• Vote without an NRC  if your name is NOT on the Voters List,  provided you  have valid ID that shows your name and residence AND complete the appropriate form
• Receive assistance while voting
• Have a sign language interpreter or other interpreter with you when you vote
• Decline your ballot if you do not wish to vote for any of the candidates
• Vote in a location that is accessible
• Ask your employer for up to three hours off work without penalty to vote on election day if your work schedule does not allow you three consecutive hours while polls are open
• Ask Elections Ontario to be removed from the register of voters

Elections Ontario is mandated under the Election Act to maintain a register of eligible voters in Ontario, which contains your full name, address, date of birth and gender. This register is used for electoral purposes only.

We Make Voting Easy
Multiple languages:
To ensure that the voting process is clear and easy for everyone, information is available in multiple languages at polls, online and in newspapers.

Multiple formats:
Contact Elections Ontario for information in Braille, large print or audio format.

Assistive voting technology:
Voters can use audio headphones and a large keypad or a "sip and puff" device at their local returning office advance poll for 7 days during the election period.

Sign language interpreters:
Voters who need a sign language interpreter can contact the Canadian Hearing Society Ontario Interpreting Service at www.chs.ca.

Employment message:
Elections Ontario is one of the largest employers in the province on election day and hires thousands of individuals to deliver a provincial general election. Returning Officers are looking for people to fill election jobs, including those with previous election or customer service experience and fluency in other languages.

To work on election day:

• Apply online at wemakevotingeasy.ca using our interactive tool
• Apply by phone at 1-888-ONT-VOTE(668-8683)
• Apply in person at your local returning office

Image with caption: "ONTARIO'S 41ST PROVINCIAL GENERAL ELECTION BEGINS (CNW Group/Elections Ontario)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140507_C7128_PHOTO_EN_40066.jpg

SOURCE: Elections Ontario

Elections Ontario Media Relations
416.212.6186 / 1.866.252.2152
mailto:[email protected]
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