One Person One Vote - What is an offence?

Voting for the 2022 Municipal Election is underway as of yesterday, and people have been filing into the local Voter Help Center to cast their vote.

Many people will otherwise decide to vote from home using the internet or telephone system.

During an election season some people will receive voter letters that have been sent to the wrong address, or duplicate letters - ensure you know what to do if this happens to you...

Richmond Hill developed a video to educate voters on voter responsibilities, take a look:

What to do if you receive a duplicate letter:

Should an eligible voter receive more than one Voter Information Letter, the eligible voter may only vote once and must return the other Voter Information Letter(s) to the municipal Revision Centre and complete an FORM EL 15 to remove the duplicate name(s).

All electors who vote more than once or who improperly use the Voter Information Letter shall be reported to the Police for further investigation as to possible corrupt practices under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.

What to do if you receive mail that is not yours:

Return the unopened mail to the post office with “Return to Sender” marked on the envelope. It is against the law to open someone else’s mail.

It is an offence to do, or attempt to do, any of the following:

  • vote if you are not an eligible elector

  • vote more times than you are permitted to vote

  • vote in a voting place where you are not entitled to vote

  • persuade a person who is not an eligible elector to vote

  • cast a vote yourself after you have appointed a proxy

  • vote as a proxy if the person who appointed you has cancelled the appointment, become ineligible to vote or died

  • give a ballot to someone if you are not authorized to do so

  • bribe a person (using money, valuables, or offers of office or employment) to vote a certain way or to not vote at all, or give someone else money so that they can bribe the person

  • accept a bribe to vote a certain way or to not vote at all

  • bribe a person to become a candidate, decide to not become a candidate, or withdraw from being a candidate


General penalties

If a person is convicted of committing an offence, they may be subject to the following penalties:

  • a fine of up to $25,000

  • ineligibility to vote or run in the next regular election

  • up to six months in prison

If a corporation or trade union is convicted of committing an offence, they may be subject to a fine of up to $50,000.

These penalties would be determined by the court.

electionJennifer Bennett