Ontario election 2022: How, where and when you can vote today

After the major party leaders crisscrossed the province for more than four weeks to bolster support, Thursday marks the end of the 2022 Ontario election campaign as voters cast their ballots.

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leader Doug Ford wants to secure a second majority government and grow his caucus after sweeping to power in 2018.

However, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath has been pushing for progressive voters to back her party since they had the most opposition members in the legislature.

Meanwhile, Ontario Liberal Party leader Steven Del Duca is looking to grow the party after losing official party status in the legislature.

Lastly, Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner is pushing hard to see at least another MPP join him at Queen’s Park.

At the time the legislature dissolved, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario had 67 of the 124 seats at Queen’s Park. In comparison, the Ontario NDP won 40 seats, the Ontario Liberal Party had seven, and the Green Party of Ontario had one.

What ID is needed to cast a ballot?

“Voters need to bring one piece of ID with their name and their address, and if they do receive a voter information card, they can bring that as well, and that just makes the process simple when they get to the voting location,” Elections Ontario spokesperson Eleni Armenakis told CityNews in an interview in early May.

Click here for a list of acceptable identification.

What additional supports are available to help cast a ballot?

Armenakis said there are instructions on how to vote in 38 different languages if needed.

She also said braille ballot templates and ballot magnifiers would be on hand at each polling location.

If extra assistance is needed, you can contact your local returning office (found through the voter information service).

What is new for voting in 2022 compared to past elections?

Elections Ontario staff have moved some processes onto digital platforms.

For instance, they launched an Elections Ontario app (on Apple Store or Google Play) that allows voters to find out where they can vote, download their information card to use in conjunction with ID to vote, and check to see if they’re on the voters’ list along with the ability to make changes and access the application to vote by mail.

For someone who doesn’t want to download the app, many of its functions are on the Elections Ontario website.

What COVID-19 public health precautions will be in effect for voting?

Armenakis said Elections Ontario staff have been working with the province’s chief medical officer of health to incorporate measures at polling locations.

“Voters will see a lot of what they’re already used to in terms of physical distancing, hand sanitizer, disinfecting high-touch surfaces and that sort of thing,” she said.

CityNews will have complete coverage of the Ontario election results beginning at 9 p.m. EST with an analysis of the results and live updates from the leaders’ campaigns and key ridings. You can watch it on the free streaming service CityNews 24/7 or Amazon Prime.