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Voting is as easy as 1-2-3:
This page contains everything you need to know about voting in Oshawa’s 2026 Municipal and School Board Elections. If we’ve missed something, questions can be sent to the Office of the City Clerk at vote@oshawa.ca.
You can vote in the Oshawa Municipal and School Board Elections if on Voting Day (October 26) you are:
Voters must also be on the Voters’ List. Not on the list? No problem. You can add yourself to the Voters’ List until Thursday, October 15 or visit a Voter Assistance Centre (V.A.C.) right up until Voting Day.
You may only vote once in the City of Oshawa Municipal and School Board Elections, regardless of how many properties you own or rent within the city.
Why do I need to confirm my Voters’ List details?
It’s important that your Voters’ List details are accurate because that is the information that will be used to mail your Voter Information Letter (Letter).
Your Letter contains everything you'll need to vote, including instructions for accessing your online ballot, your unique voter registration number, your voting locations and other important election information.
What if my name, address or school support is wrong on the Voters’ List?
Not a problem! You can update your Voters’ List information yourself!
Head back to oshawa.ca/VotersList and pull up your voter record. Then:
Need to update your school support?
Property owners and tenants can choose which school board they want to support. If no designation is selected, support defaults to the English Public school board. The City can assist you to correct your information for the purposes of this election, however to ensure your information is correct for future elections and that the school board portion of your property tax is sent to your chosen school board you will need to contact the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) directly as well.
If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to vote@oshawa.ca.
What if I’m an Oshawa post-secondary student?
If you are an Oshawa post-secondary student and consider your “home” to be the municipality you live in when you are not attending school, which means you plan to return there, then you are eligible to vote in both your “home” municipality and in Oshawa.
If you are a student from Oshawa attending school in another municipality, please check with the Clerk of that municipality to find out your voting options.
You are prohibited from voting on Voting Day if you are:
Get ready to vote! Take a moment to confirm what ward your address is in and review the names of candidates.
Enter your address in the City's Find Your Ward tool to learn your ward and more about Oshawa's ward system.
How was my school support designation decided?
Property owners and tenants can choose which school board they want to support. If no designation is selected, support defaults to the English Public school board. To ensure your information is correct for the next election, review your school support designation and update it if needed before June 1, 2026 by visiting the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC)
New voting options making casting your vote easier than ever! Cast your vote in three easy steps:
If your name is on the Voters’ List, you will receive a Voter Information Letter from the City of Oshawa in the mail in early October.
Your Voter Information Letter (Letter) is your key to casting your ballot and contains everything you will need to vote, including:
Your Letter will be addressed to you personally and contains information that is only to be used by the voter themselves. Protect your Letter like you would your banking information, as it contains the secure information you need to cast your ballot online.
How is a Voter Information Letter different than what I’ve received in the past?
This year, Oshawa voters should be looking for their Voter Information Letter starting early October.
While in the past, voters received a postcard style Voter Notification Card, this election’s Letter will come in a sealed envelope due to the confidential nature of the information inside.
How to add yourself to the Voters' List?
If your name is not found through the Elector Lookup process, you can submit a request to be added to the Voters' List.
If no matching record is found:
You will receive a confirmation email once your request has been submitted.
Voters can head to the Voter Assistance Centre (V.A.C.) at City Hall with a piece of I.D. to be issued a new Letter.
V.A.C.s are running at City Hall (50 Centre St. S.) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.:
What if I forgot to update my address before my Letter was mailed?
Voters can head to the Voter Assistance Centre (V.A.C.) at City Hall with a piece of I.D. to be issued a new Letter.
V.A.C.s are running at City Hall (50 Centre St. S.) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.:
What should I do if I haven’t received my Letter?
If you have not received your Letter:
Contact the Office of the City Clerk at 905-436-5639 or vote@oshawa.ca for additional assistance.
What if I'm having difficulty using my Letter?
If you're experiencing any sort of difficulty accessing online voting, please head to a scheduled Voter Assistance Centre (V.A.C.). Election Officials will be able to help you gain access to the online voting portal where you can cast your vote on a City-provided device.
You will need to be able to either:
Once you receive your Letter, you can choose the voting method that works best for you:
What if I need accessibility accommodations?
The City of Oshawa is taking steps to identify, remove and prevent barriers for electors and candidates with a disability.
The online voting platform and all Voter Assistance Centres are accessible, and Election Officials are trained to deliver accessible service and provide tools/supplies to facilitate voting for persons with disabilities.
A support person or Election Official can assist you in completing your vote at any Voter Assistance Centre. Service animals are welcome at all Voter Assistance Centres.
On Voting Day, voters who require accessible voting equipment may cast their ballot at City Hall (50 Centre St. S.), regardless of their ward.
Voting online allows you to vote safely, securely and conveniently from anywhere in Canada so long as you have your Voter Information Letter. If you are not in Canada during the voting period, consider setting up a Voting Proxy.
Can someone help me vote online?
Yes. If you need assistance using the online voting system, visit a Voter Assistance Centre.
No, once a vote has been cast, whether online or on paper, the system prevents another ballot from being issued to that voter.
If you want to vote using a paper ballot but cannot go to a Voter Assistance Centre in person, you can choose someone to vote for you. This person is called a voting proxy.
To appoint a voting proxy, you must complete the Voters’ Form - Appointment of Voting Proxy. Please visit a Voter Assistance Centre at City Hall to obtain the Voting Proxy form and receive additional instruction.
A voting proxy can:
Note: paper ballots, and for that reason, voting proxies, are only available on Voting Day (Monday, October 26).
A voting proxy can act for:
When a voting proxy arrives at a Voter Assistance Centre, they must:
Election Officials will verify the form, record the proxy appointment, and issue a paper ballot. The proxy form will be kept as part of the election records.
Note: paper ballots can only be cast on Voting Day (October 26) at a Voter Assistance Centre in your ward.
Tip: If you are planning to vote online on Voting Day (October 26), you must:
Voting online is easy and made up of two steps: Registration and Voting.
Registration must be completed no later than 6 p.m. on Voting Day (October 26) to cast a ballot online in the 2026 Municipal and School Board Elections.
Watch this video to learn step-by-step how easy it is to cast your vote online:
Why is the City using internet voting?
At the June 2025 Council meeting, City Council approved the use of internet voting for Advance Voting and internet voting and paper ballots with vote tabulators on Voting Day for the 2026 Municipal & School Board Elections.
Learn more about this decision and internet voting on the Internet Voting webpage.
How do I know my vote was counted?
After submitting your ballot, you will receive an on-screen confirmation that your vote was successfully submitted.
Voter Assistance Centres (V.A.C.) are locations available throughout the city during the voting period to assist voters in casting their vote. Visit:
Regardless of why you’re heading to a V.A.C., always remember to bring your Voter Information Letter and a piece of I.D.
A voter may choose to go to a V.A.C. if they are:
What identification do I need to vote?
Eligible voters must provide identification which includes their name and qualifying Oshawa address. Acceptable forms of identification are prescribed by the Province under Ontario Regulation 304/13 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. Learn more about acceptable documents for identification.
During the Advance Voting period, you can visit a V.A.C. for help voting online on a City-provided device.
| Location | Date | Time |
| City Hall (50 Centre St. S.) |
Tuesday, October 13 to Saturday, October 17, and Monday, October 19 to Friday, October 23 |
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| South Oshawa Community Centre (1455 Cedar St.) |
Wednesday, October 14 | 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Northview Community Centre (150 Beatrice St. E.) |
Thursday, October 15 | 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. |
|
Civic Recreation Complex |
Friday, October 16 | 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Donevan Recreation Complex (171 Harmony Rd. S.) |
Saturday, October 17 | 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Delpark Homes Centre (1661 Harmony Rd. N.) |
Monday, October 19 | 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. |
On Voting Day, you can visit a V.A.C. in your ward for help voting online on a City-provided device, or to cast a paper ballot. All V.A.C.s will open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Voters planning to use accessible voting equipment should go to the V.A.C. at City Hall, regardless of their ward.
Find a V.A.C. in your ward for Voting Day:
The City of Oshawa understands the longstanding public expectation in Canadian elections that unofficial election results are reported as soon as possible after the close of voting and makes every effort to publish them in a timely manner.
Before reporting unofficial election results to the public, the totals from internet voting and paper ballots have to be combined.
Unofficial election results will be reported all at once instead of being released poll by poll as they have in the past and will be posted on oshawa.ca as soon as possible after voting closes.
Official election results will be posted on oshawa.ca once they have been certified by the City Clerk.
Contact us
Legislative Services
Oshawa City Hall
50 Centre St. S.
Oshawa, ON L1H 3Z7
Phone: 905-436-3311
Toll Free: 1-800-667-4292
Email: vote@oshawa.ca
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