Ontario votes – make sure your voice is heard!
February 14, 2025
By Marco Campana, Knowledge Mobilization and Social Action Coordinator, Access Alliance
The Ontario provincial general election is coming up on February 27, 2025.
We’ve got some upcoming voter education events planned at our AccessPoint on Danforth and AccessPoint on Jane locations. The Ontario government touches many areas of our lives. Join us to learn more and find out why you should vote and how.
If you’re 18 years old or older, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of Ontario you can vote. If you can’t vote, there is still plenty you can do.
In this post:
- Learn about how to vote and how to get ready to vote (including information about how to vote in 38 languages)
- Get key details on candidates and election timelines
- Find out how you can get involved and work on election day
- Learn about different party platforms and candidates you’re voting for
- Get sample questions you can ask candidates
We have created a voter information toolkit you can download and share. It has all the information that we’re sharing here.
We have also created some additional resources you might find useful to share in your community:
- AccessPoint on Jane Ontario 2025 Election Flyer
- AccessPoint on Jane Ontario 2025 Election Flyer and voter handout – with flyer
- AccessPoint on Jane Ontario 2025 Election voter handout – without flyer
- AccessPoint on Danforth Ontario 2025 Election Flyer
- AccessPoint on Danforth Ontario 2025 Election Flyer and voter handout – with flyer
- AccessPoint on Danforth Ontario 2025 Election voter handout – without flyer
How to vote
The Elections Ontario website has all the information you need on how to vote, including mail-in voting, how to get on the voter’s list, voting options, key dates, and more. They also have translated materials available in up to 39 different languages!
- how to mark your ballot (39 languages)
- accepted ID you must provide to vote (16 languages)
- the Ontario Voting Guide, a document that will be sent to each household. It has everything you need to know about when, where, and how to vote (16 languages)
Getting ready to Vote
Some useful dates:
- Confirm, update or add your voter information to the Register by February 17.
- Voter information cards will be in the mail between February 17 to 22. If you don’t get a voter information card, you can still vote on election day. You must bring one piece of ID showing both your name and home address to register and receive a ballot.
- Apply to vote by mail before February 21 at 6PM.
- Vote in advance up until February 26 at 6PM.
Find all of this information and more on the Elections Ontario site.
Can’t vote? What you can do as a non-eligible voter
- Work the Election as an Information Assistant: You do not need to be a Canadian citizen and can be 16 years of age.
- Volunteer or Donate!
- Discuss with Friends and Family!
- Register for Future Elections! Eligible for 16 and 17 year old’s. Voters will be automatically added to the Register when they turn 18.
Learn before your vote
The Ontario government touches many areas of our lives. Here are just a few areas they make decisions about that affect our lives:
- Health care and wellness – Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), hospitals and medical services
- Education and training – Elementary and secondary school, colleges and universities, job retraining programs
- Jobs and Employment – Access to regulated professions and trades, workers’ rights, employment standards
- Infrastructure and Transportation – Highways, driver’s licences
- Services for families – Marriage and birth certificates, some child care services, subsidized housing, community services
- Some civil and criminal justice
- Funding municipal (city) governments
Find information about the main four provincial parties and their platforms (click on each logo to view their election platforms).
Get to know your local candidates
Candidates running in the electoral districts serving AccessPoint on Jane:
Candidates running in the electoral districts serving AccessPoint on Danforth:
Questions to ask your candidates
Leading up to the election you can ask your candidates questions on topics that are important to you. We have some suggested questions based on issues important to the people and communities we serve:
Healthcare
- What steps would you take to help more people get healthcare while making sure doctors and nurses aren’t overworked?
- Many people can’t afford mental health help and must wait too long to get it. How would you make mental health care more available to everyone in Ontario?
Decent Work
- How would you protect all workers’ rights in Ontario, no matter what kind of job they have or who they are?
- What would you do to make sure everyone in Ontario can earn enough money to live on?
Food Security
- How would you help people get land and green spaces to grow food for themselves and their families?
Affordable Housing
- What would you do to help make housing cheaper and better in Toronto, and how would you protect renters?
Newcomers
- How would you help refugees and asylum seekers learn English or French so they can better access Ontario life and work?
- How would you help people who were trained as professionals in other countries find work that matches their skills in Ontario?
Community Safety
- Many people, especially older residents, feel less safe in our community. What would you do to help people feel safe enough to go outside and take walks again?
- Our community needs better crime prevention programs. What safety programs would you create to protect people?
These are just some topics to consider. If you are interested in learning more Social Planning Toronto has prepared a useful page with with nonpartisan resources to help educate votes. Information includes:
- issue-specific campaigns and advocacy information
- voter engagement resources
- advocacy platforms and campaigns
- platform analysis and election tracking resources
If you want to learn more about voting, working in an election, getting ready for a future election, or how you can get involved in this year’s election join our learning events at AccessPoint on Danforth and AccessPoint on Jane.
And if you can vote, please do. Make sure your voice is heard!