‘This WILL stop people from voting’: Ontario election last-minute polling station confusion sparks voter frustration

Election day in Ontario has arrived as voters head to the polls to cast their ballot for the next premier. Keep up with our live blog to get the latest updates on what’s happening at voting stations across the province. 3:20 p.m.

Several people in Ontario took to social media throughout the day to comment on the ease of the voting process in their own riding.

But as expected for many, voters did indicate a few issues along the way, mostly related to the last-minute changes that were made to some voting location in the province.

11:30 a.m. Last-minute changes to voting locations

In a statement to Yahoo Canada at 11:30 a.m. ET, Elections Ontario confirmed it is monitoring all polling locations “to ensure they have opened on time.”

Election Ontario did highlight that there have been some last-minute changes to voting locations and is urging all voters to enter their postal code in the voter information service on elections.on.ca, check the Elections Ontario app or call 1 888-668-8683 before heading to their polling station.

9 a.m.

Throughout the election campaign, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives have consistently led in the polls, promising to build more hospitals and highways, and stressing that more jobs will be created under a PC government.

While polls have suggested that the Ontario Liberals will gain some seats following the June 2 election result, all eyes are on party leader Steven Del Duca’s riding of Vaughan–Woodbridge, with the expectation that it is a close race and Del Duca may not win his own seat.

For the NDP, a significant question of the election has been, if Andrea Horwath is not the next Ontario premier, as the polls suggest, will she still be the leader of the party? Experts have suggested a shift in the party is likely if the NDP come out with a third place result.

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While the pre-election polls have been looking very similar for weeks, Ontarians are still encouraging people to get out and vote.

How to vote in the Ontario election

Voters can find all the information on where to vote on their voter information card, which were sent in the mail. Information on each electoral district can be found here.

Anyone without a voter information card can still vote, but need to bring one piece of ID, showing both their name and current residential address, to their location polling station. If you have your voter information card, you need to bring that and one piece of ID showing your name (ex. utility bill, credit/debit card, health card, student card, passport).

Masks do not have to be worn while voting and proof of COVID-19 vaccination will not be checked, but each person will be asked to distance from others. PPE and hand sanitizer will be available, and election officials will be seated behind plexiglass barriers.