Election Information for Voters

Internet/Telephone Voting

Internet/Telephone Voting will once again be used for the 2026 Municipal Election, the same method used in 2022. Between October 16 and October 26, 2026, electors will be able to vote remotely using their own devices in the comfort of their home.

Learn How to Vote Amend the Voter's List

Voting/Election Help Centre

A Voting/Election Help Centre will be set up in Wilberforce.

  • Between May 1 and October 15 the help centre will be located at the Municipal Office at 2249 Loop Road. 
  • From October 16 through October 26 (Voting Day) the help centre will be located inside the Lloyd Watson Centre, also at 2249 Loop Road.

Voters may use this service in order to make additions, deletions and corrections to the Voter's List during the following hours:

  • Monday to Friday during normal business hours (9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) from September 1, 2026 to October 23, 2026; and
  • On Voting Day, Monday, October 26, 2026, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

For those who are physically unable to go inside the Voting/Election Help Centre, please bring a friend or support person to come inside the Voting/Election Help Centre to request assistance on your behalf, or call in advance to make an appointment. An Election Official will meet you outside to provide assistance with your election needs including voter list corrections, the completion of election forms or the issuance or replacement of your Voter Notification Letter.

The Voter's List
For information on viewing and making changes to the Voter's List, please view our Voter's List information page.

Voting at the Lloyd Watson Centre

The online and telephone voting period begins Friday, October 16, 2026 and ends on Voting Day (October 26, 2026). The Lloyd Watson Centre in Wilberforce will have a digital voting station set up with a secure internet connection for those who require help. Trained election officials will be on site. 

In-person voting at the Lloyd Watson Centre is available only for those requiring assistance, such as those without internet access, or who are experiencing technical issues casting their vote.

If you plan to visit the Voting/Election Help Centre, bring your voter information letter containing your unique PIN and one piece of ID that has your name and address on it. Any identification listed on the Province of Ontario's acceptable document list for voter identification will be accepted. Staff will check if you are eligible to vote before providing assistance with voting.

Voter Accessibility

Personal Assistance

If you require personal assistance to vote, you may ask a friend to assist you. Your friend must swear a declaration prior to offering assistance. The person acting as a friend may go behind the voting screen with you. A person may act as a friend only once, except in nursing homes, or for family members.

Interpreters

If you require the assistance of an interpreter, you may ask anyone who is not a candidate or a scrutineer to act as your interpreter. The interpreter must swear a declaration before providing assistance.

Service Animals

Pursuant to the Municipality of Highlands East Accessibility Policy (By-law 2019-120), individuals requiring service animals are permitted to be accompanied by a service animal at the Election/Voting Centre. 

Resources

For more information on voting accommodations and accessibility, please see our Accessibility page.

About Internet/Telephone Voting

How to Vote

Please visit our How to Vote page for information on the voting process and for instructional videos for voting online or by telephone.

Advantages

  • Less travel.
  • Removal of time constraints.
  • Improved accessibility for persons with disabilities or people who are ill or away from home.
  • Convenient and accessible voting during a time of uncertainty (the pandemic).
  • Fast and accurate election results.
  • Uses the latest technological and security advances ensuring confidence in the integrity of the voting process.

Background

  • This method of voting has been used in Ontario for more than 14 years.
  • More than half of all Municipalities in Ontario utilized internet voting during the 2022 municipal election.
  • Users of online voting identified that they found the method to be easy, simple, straight forward, convenient and private.

About our voting system provider

In 2025, the four local municipalities in Haliburton County (including Highlands East) issued a joint RFP to secure an internet and telephone voting system provider and Voatz Canada Ltd. was awarded the contract. Voatz' online voting interface is intuitive and easy to understand with excellent accessibility and security features.

Who can vote?

In order to be eligible to vote, you must meet the Qualifications of Electors as listed in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, s.17(2).

A person is entitled to be an elector at an election held in a local municipality if, on voting day, he or she, is:

  • A Canadian citizen; and
  • At least 18 years old; and
  • A resident of Highlands East; or
  • A non-resident of Highlands East, but you or your spouse own or rent property in the Municipality; and
  • Are not prohibited from voting under any law.

You may only vote once in the Highlands East municipal election regardless of how many properties you own or rent within the municipality. You may also vote in multiple Municipal Elections if you own property outside of Highlands East.

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

Who cannot vote?

You cannot vote if you are:

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

Student Voting

Students are allowed to vote in both their home municipality and the municipality where they are attending school.

Who can vote in a school board election?

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 Municipality, 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 Municipality, 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.

Wards and Offices to Elect

In Highlands East, voting will take place for the following offices:

  • Mayor (elected at large)
  • Councillor for Ward 1 Cardiff
  • Councillor for Ward 2 Bicroft
  • Councillor for Ward 3 Glamorgan
  • Councillor for Ward 4 Monmouth

View a Ward Map of Highlands East

School Boards in Highlands East

There are four different kind of school boards within Highlands East geographical area for the 2026 election:

  1. English-language public school board (Trillium Lakelands District School Board): This is the default school board. Unless you are qualified to vote for a separate or French board, you will vote for the English public school board; and
  2. French language public school board (Conseil scolaire de district du Centre Sud-Ouest): 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.
  3. English–language separate school board (Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board) You must be a Roman Catholic and you must be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter of the English – language separate school board.
  4. French–language separate school board (Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est) You must be a French language rights holder.

Individuals are encouraged to use MPAC’s online tool to review their school support designation at school-support.mpac.ca. In order to change your support from the default English-language public school board, contact the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (1-866-296-6722) for more information. 

Voters will have until June 1 to update school support information with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).