MUNICIPAL ELECTION: Cobourg offers tips for privacy while voting
By West Northumberland Independent
The Town of Cobourg is offering tips aimed at helping voters maintain their privacy when they cast their ballots come election day.
The town’s legislative services division is reminding residents of their rights related to voter privacy as the opening of the voting period for the 2026 municipal and school board election starts today (Friday, Oct. 16). The voting period starts at 9 a.m. and runs through until Monday, October 26 at 8 p.m.
“It’s important for Cobourg electors to know how to protect the principles of voter secrecy and privacy under the Municipal Elections Act,” the town noted, in a recent release.
For example, the law states that when a person is voting, no one may attempt to influence a voter’s choices or interfere with the marking of the ballot.
In addition, no one may try to obtain information about how a person intends to vote or for whom a voter cast his or her ballot.
The town said residents can help protect voter privacy and secrecy and prevent undue interference while voting by following these steps:
Although the internet voting option will allow voters to cast a ballot from virtually anywhere, casting a ballot should still be a private exercise. Find a quiet, private place to vote, which is free from interference or close observation by others.
Residents’ secret voting PIN will arrive in paperwork through Canada Post or may have already arrived. Although a PIN thief would need to know other personal information to steal and vote using an individual’s PIN, it’s still important to keep the PIN private and out of reach.
Those who choose not to vote should destroy the PIN. It is illegal to pass along both the PIN and the vote to another person.
Residents should reject political interference while voting.
“While candidates and their teams are welcome to solicit your support throughout the campaign period, they must not interfere with a voter who is casting a ballot. Ensure that candidates and their campaign volunteers respect your privacy and do not pressure you while you are voting, as well as they shall not provide you with any candidate electronic devices to vote,” officials stated in the release.
Residents may keep their choices private. People are not obliged to share their voting choices with anyone, either before or after casting a ballot.
For assistance when voting, contact the town directly or use one of the three voter help centres located across Cobourg during the voting period. The town’s clerk’s team will be managing the voter help centres, “to provide a safe and secure way for community members to cast their vote at a secure voting kiosk.”
There is a voter help centre location in the old Bailey courtroom of Victoria Hall, which is located at 55 King St. W. The hours there are Friday, Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 19 through to Sunday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Monday, Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Another voter help centre location is at the Cobourg Public Library, which is located at 200 Ontario St. The hours there are from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday, Oct. 19 through to Friday, Oct. 23, and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26.
Finally, there’s a voter help centre in the Cobourg Community Centre, which is located at 750 D’Arcy St. The centre is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday, Oct. 19 through to Thursday, Oct. 22, and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26.
For more information and to stay up-to-date on the 2026 Cobourg municipal and school board election, visit www.CobourgVotes.ca.
Residents can direct questions to the Town of Cobourg clerk’s office by emailing cobourgvotes@cobourg.ca or by calling 905-372-4301 ext. 9520.
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