Port Hope rolling out help for voters ahead of 2026 municipal election

Port Hope Town Hall will serve as a voter assistance centre on select dates starting on Oct. 16 to help residents cast electronic ballots if needed or make applications to amend the voters’ list before casting votes ahead of the Oct. 26 election. /Sarah Hyatt photo

By editor/reporter Sarah Hyatt

If you have questions about the voters’ list for the upcoming municipal and school board election in Port Hope or think you’ll need help navigating Internet of telephone voting, the municipality has you covered.

For residents wanting to double check if their names are on the voters’ list, this can start now, while voter assistance town halls will start at the same time as voting begins on Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. Voting will continue through to election day on Oct. 26 until 8 p.m.

Shrishma Davé, Port Hope’s municipal clerk and returning officer, has confirmed the list of persons entitled to be electors for the upcoming election has been prepared by the municipal clerk’s office.

If you’re wondering about whether you need to check for your name on the voters’ list, some reasons can include if residents believe their information could be incorrect due to say a recent name change or move. Others who recently moved to the area may also want to double check, explained municipal staff.

Officials noted that residents can verify and check they’re on the list by contacting staff via email or calling Port Hope Town Hall at 905-885-4544 ext. 0.

If needed, staff explained that a person can also apply to request a name be added and/or removed from the list or information changed by completing “an application to amend the voters’ list” (also formally referred to as an EL15 form) which can be downloaded through porthopevotes.ca or residents can contact the clerk’s office.

However, applicants will need proof of identity and their residence, and the forms have to be filed at town hall through the legal and legislative services department (or later at voter assistance centres.)

For the election in 2022, the municipality also utilized voting by Internet and phone methods, and voter turnout was reported at just under 43 per cent. There were about 14,420 eligible voters then and 6,196 cast ballots in 2022.

For this coming election, the municipality will again offer voter assistance centres for urban and rural residents who either need help casting ballots electronically (at specific dates and times) or those who don’t have access to a computer, Internet or phone.

In the urban area, town hall at 56 Queen St. will serve as the voter assistance centre on Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 19 to 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and in-between on Oct. 21 operating hours will be extended to 7 p.m. On Oct. 26/election day, hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In the rural area, the Port Hope Community Hub at 5325 County Rd. 10 will operate on Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Oct. 22 to 24 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 26.

Again, applications to amend the voters’ list can also be filed at these centres during the above operating hours. The municipality’s porthopevotes.ca dedicated site is also a central hub for additional election-relation information, and as previously reported, also includes the return of the “Meet the Candidates” page.