Voter FAQs

Have questions about the upcoming election or how to vote? Below are answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you still have questions, contact election staff at election@trentlakes.ca or 705-738-3800 ext. 245 for assistance.

General

When is Voting Day?

Voting Day is Monday, October 26, 2026.

Trent Lakes will also have advance voting starting on October 13.

How do I vote?

Trent Lakes will be using internet/telephone and paper ballot voting methods for the 2026 Municipal Election.

Advanced voting will open on Tuesday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m. and you can vote through to Voting Day on Monday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m.

Internet and telephone voting will be available 24/7 throughout the voting period.

Paper ballot voting with tabulators will be available at the Municipal Office during the following dates and times:

October 23 to October 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 26 (Voting Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Where do I vote?

You can vote anywhere using the internet and telephone voting methods throughout the voting period.

Paper ballot voting with tabulators will be available at the Municipal Office during the following dates and times:

October 23 to October 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 26 (Voting Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Trent Lakes Municipal Office is located at 760 Peterborough County Road 36, Trent Lakes.

Who is eligible to vote?

You can cast a ballot in the Municipality of Trent Lakes if you're:

a Canadian citizen;
at least 18 years old on Voting Day (October 26, 2026);
a Trent Lakes resident or an owner or tenant of land in Trent Lakes (or the spouse of such owner or tenant); and
not prohibited by law from voting.

Who is prohibited from voting?

The following cannot vote in a municipal election:

a person serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution;
a corporation;
a person acting as an executor or trustee or in any other representative capacity, except as a voting proxy in accordance with section 44 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996; or
a person convicted of a corrupt practice for an election held within four years of Voting Day.

How does my name get on the Voters' List?

Elections Ontario is responsible for preparing the Preliminary List of Electors for each municipality. It is Elections Ontario's Register that is used to prepare this preliminary list, which aids in the preparation of the final Voters' List for Voting Day. School board information is provided by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).

You can use our Voter Lookup or contact the Clerk's Department to check if you are on the Voters' List and that your information is up to date. If you need to update or add your information, you will need acceptable identification and can do so by:

Using our online tool
Contacting the Clerk's Department
Visiting a Voter Assistance Centre during the voting period.

You can be added to the Voters' List or update your information until the close of voting on Voting Day (Monday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m.)

How do I add myself to the Voters' List or update my information?

You can use our Voter Lookup or contact the Clerk’s Department to check if you are on the Voters’ List and that your information is up to date. If you need to update or add your information, you will need acceptable identification and can do so by:

Using our online tool
Contacting the Clerk’s Department
Visiting a Voter Assistance Centre during the voting period

You can be added to the Voters' List or update your information up until the close of voting on Voting Day (Monday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m.)

What do I do with my Voter Information Letter?

A Voter Information Letter (VIL) is sent to all eligible voters in Trent Lakes who are on the Voters' List. The VIL from Trent Lakes contains important voting information including the website to visit and the phone number to call in order to access the voting system. Your VIL will also contain your PIN, which you will need in addition to your full date of birth, to cast your ballot via the internet or telephone.

Bring your VIL with you to the Voter Assistance Centre (located at the Municipal Office) if you require assistance with voting. The VIL will help us serve you quickly at the Voter Assistance Centre.

Please remember to bring acceptable identification if you would like to vote with a paper ballot as the VIL does not serve as acceptable identification.

I did not receive my Voter Information Letter. What do I do now?

Voter Information Letters (VIL) will be sent in the mail in late September or early October to all voters on the Voters' List.

If you did not receive your VIL, you may not be on the Voters' List. Don't worry, you can add your name to the List at by completing an Application to Amend the Voters' List form with acceptable identification by contacting the Clerk's office. You can also use our Voter Lookup tool to check if you are on the list, add or update your information. Election staff can also email your VIL if you didn't receive it or need to get added to the list during the voting period.

I live in one ward and own property in another ward. Can I choose which ward I want to vote in?

No, you must vote in the ward where you live.

I live in one municipality and own property in another municipality. Do I have to choose which municipality to vote in?

You are eligible to vote in the municipality where you live, and the municipality where you qualify as a non-resident voter. You can vote in both municipalities. If both municipalities are in the same school board, you can only vote for school trustee in one municipality.

My family owns a cottage in Trent Lakes. Can I vote here?

In order to qualify as a non-resident voter, you (or your spouse) must be the owner or tenant of the property. If a family member who is not your spouse is the owner, and you have use of the cottage, you would not qualify as a non-resident voter. If the cottage is owned by a trust, you would not qualify as a non-resident voter.

I no longer live in Trent Lakes - why was a Voter Information Letter sent to me?

Updating your address on your driver's licence, your utility bills, or the Federal Voters' List, does not update a municipal Voters' List. Voters who are no longer eligible to vote in Trent Lakes must remove themselves from the Trent Lakes Voters' List by completing an Application to Amend the Voters' List form from the Clerk's Department.

How do I contact Election Staff at Trent Lakes?

Contact the Clerk's Department by phone at 705-738-3800 ext. 245 or by email at election@trentlakes.ca. You can also visit the Municipal Office during regular operating hours to speak to someone in the Clerk's Department.

During the Voting Period, election staff will be on site at the Voter Assistance Centre (Trent Lakes Municipal Office) during the following dates and times:

October 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 14 to October 23 (Monday to Friday only) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 26 (Voting Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Voting Help

Do I need to show identification to vote?

If you are on the Voters' List, you should receive a Voter Information Letter (VIL) in late September or early October, closer to the election. You can use this VIL to vote anywhere and you do not need identification.

If you would like to vote by paper ballot at the Voting Location, you will need to provide identification showing your name and property address in Trent Lakes.

If you are not on the Voters' List, you will need to be added at the Voter Assistance Centre or online using the Voter Lookup tool and you will need to provide identification showing your name and property address in Trent Lakes. You will need to sign or confirm a statutory declaration stating that you are a qualified elector.

You can find a complete list of acceptable identification for proof of name and address on our website.

I tried voting online/by telephone but it isn't working. What do I do?

Contact election staff at the Voter Assistance Centre by phone at 705-738-3800 ext. 245 or by email at election@trentlakes.ca

Election staff will be on site at the Voter Assistance Centre (Trent Lakes Municipal Office) during the following dates and times:

October 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 14 to October 23 (Monday to Friday only) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 26 (Voting Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

My internet connection is spotty/I don't have internet. How can I vote?

You can also vote by telephone from Tuesday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m. and through to Voting Day on Monday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m. Telephone voting will be available 24/7 throughout the voting period.

The Voter Assistance Centre (Trent Lakes Municipal Office) will be equipped with internet, telephones and devices to vote by internet or telephone.

Paper ballot voting with tabulators will also be available at the Municipal Office during the following dates and times:

October 23 to October 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 26 (Voting Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

I don't want to vote by internet or telephone. How can I vote?

Paper ballot voting with tabulators will be available at the Municipal Office during the following dates and times:

Friday, October 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, October 26 (Voting Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

When can I visit the Voter Assistance Centre?

Election staff will be on site at the Voter Assistance Centre (Trent Lakes Municipal Office) during the following dates and times:

October 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 14 to October 23 (Monday to Friday only) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 26 (Voting Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.