|
What is MPAC?
What is municipal enumeration?
How does MPAC conduct the enumeration?
What is the Preliminary List of Electors?
Who can vote in a municipal election?
Why the enumeration is not conducted door-to-door as it was in the past?
How accurate are the Preliminary List of Electors?
How does someone know if their name is on the voters' list?
How can people make sure their name is on the voters' list?
What is MPAC?
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is a not-for-profit corporation funded by all Ontario municipalities. It has two main responsibilities:
- accurately assessing and classifying all properties in Ontario based on current market value; and
- conducting the enumeration and preparing a Preliminary List of Electors for municipal and school board elections in Ontario.
Top ^
What is municipal enumeration?
The municipal enumeration process involves collecting information about each individual owning or occupying property in Ontario. This information is used to prepare the Preliminary List of Electors for each municipality, school board and District Social Service Administration Boards, identify potential jurors, gather school support information, and produce the Ontario Population Report.
Top ^
How does MPAC conduct the enumeration?
MPAC relies on a variety of sources of information including:
- information it has in its database on property ownership and tenants that is used in preparing Property Assessment Notices;
- Municipal Enumeration Forms that are mailed to approximately 2.4 million Ontario households during election years; and
- National Registry of Electors from Elections Canada.
Top ^
What is the Preliminary List of Electors?
The Preliminary List of Electors is prepared from the various sources of information to which MPAC has access. It is sent to the clerks of every municipality in Ontario who are responsible for preparing the final voters' list in their individual communities and ensuring that every person who appears at a polling station in the municipality is eligible to vote.
Top ^
Who can vote in a municipal election?
To vote in a municipality, a person must:
- be 18 years of age;
- be a Canadian citizen; and
- own or occupy property in the municipality.
Top ^
Why the enumeration is not conducted door-to-door as it was in the past?
Door-to-door enumerations have not been conducted in Ontario for more than 22 years because they are expensive, time consuming and no more accurate than current methods. People often cannot be found at home during the day or early evening when door-to-door enumeration was typically conducted.
Most other jurisdictions across Canada and in other countries no longer use door-to-door enumeration for these reasons.
How accurate are the Preliminary List of Electors?
The Preliminary List of Electors is as accurate as possible given the limitations under which MPAC must operate. For example:
- there is no legal requirement that Municipal Enumeration Forms be completed and returned. About 40% of the 2.4 million forms that are mailed during an election year are completed and returned to MPAC; and
- access to the National Registry of Electors from Elections Canada is limited.
How does someone know if their name is on the voters' list?
Voters should receive confirmation by mail from the municipality that their name is on the voters' list.
How can people make sure their name is on the voters' list?
If someone receives a Municipal Enumeration Form from MPAC, it should be completed and returned. This is the most effective way for people to ensure their names are on the Preliminary List of Electors which will then be sent to the municipal clerk.
Clerks in each municipality make various arrangements to ensure that anyone who is eligible to vote in the municipal election is able to vote.
The clerk's office in each municipality will provide information on what procedures are in place and what identification is needed to ensure that all eligible voters can vote.
Top ^
|
