2026 Election Information for Voters

Attention Ward 10 voters: An error has been identified on Voter Information Letters recently mailed to Ward 10 voters, which caused the incorrect ward number to be listed on the letter. Please review the key actions for ward 10 voters. 

Use the information provided in your Voter Information Letter to cast your ballot in the 2026 Municipal Election. The letter includes your unique voting personal identification number (PIN), which is required to access and submit your ballot, as well as instructions for voting online or by telephone, including the voting website and telephone number. Do not share your voting PIN.

If you did not receive your voting PIN by October 13, 2026, you can obtain your PIN by visiting a Voter Assistance Centre with acceptable voter identification. 

If you have misplaced your voter information letter with your PIN, call 705-728-VOTE (8683) or email Be.Counted@barrie.ca immediately (the old PIN will be deactivated).

Do not open a voter information letter that’s not addressed to you. It’s illegal to take, open or tamper with mail that’s addressed to another person. If you receive a voter information letter for someone who does not live at your address, don’t open or forward it. Instead, mark the envelope "Return to Sender" and drop it in the mail, so it will be returned to the City's Election Office.

The City of Barrie is once again offering the convenience of casting your ballot through internet and telephone voting for the 2026 Municipal Election.

To Vote Online

• Visit the web address provided in your voter information letter. For a secure connection, enter the web address directly into your browser.
• Enter your voting PIN and required credentials. 
• Follow the prompts to cast your ballot and confirm your selections.
   

To Vote by Phone

• Call the phone number (1-833-969-4572) provided on your voter information letter.
• Enter your voting PIN and required credentials.
• Listen to the statement of eligibility and follow the prompts to confirm your selection.
• Vote by following the prompts, making your selections and confirming by pressing the # (pound) key.
   

A candidate cannot assist a voter in the voting process. If you require assistance, please call 705-728-VOTE (8683), email Be.Counted@barrie.ca, or visit a Voter Assistance Centre.

You can vote if you are:

• A Canadian citizen
• 18 years of age or older as of October 26, 2026
• Not prohibited from voting by law
   

AND either;

• A Barrie resident, or
• A Barrie property owner/tenant or spouse of a Barrie property owner/tenant
   

You may only vote once no matter how many voting days there are or how many properties you own or rent.

Review the eligibility FAQs for more information.

In 2025, the City of Barrie underwent a comprehensive review of its ward boundaries. The new ward boundaries will take effect with the new term of Council. If your ward has changed, you will vote in your new ward in the upcoming Municipal Election. 

To view the new ward boundaries, explore the interactive wards map or the printer-friendly maps of wards 1–10. 

Residents remain represented by their existing ward councillor until the new boundaries come into effect. 

In Barrie’s 2026 Municipal and School Board Election, eligible voters will cast their ballot for a trustee representing one of the following school boards:

• Simcoe County District School Board (English Public). Anyone can support this school board. Note: If your children are in French Immersion in the public system, you support this school board.
• Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (English Separate). You must be Roman Catholic to support this school board, regardless if your partner is Roman Catholic or if your children attend an English Separate school. 
• Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French Public). You must have French Language Education Rights to support this school board. Note: This does not include French Immersion or French as a second language.
• Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French Separate). You must personally be Roman Catholic and have French Language Education Rights to support this school board. Note: This does not include French Immersion or French as a second language.
   

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for collecting school support information. To confirm or update your school support information, use MPAC’s online school support tool.

You must be on the municipal voters list to vote during the 10-day voting period. Acceptable identification showing your name and qualifying address is required to add yourself to the voters list or update your information.

Voter Registration Tool

Check your voter information, add your name to the list or submit changes through the City’s voter registration tool.

The personal information collected on the linked form is collected under the authority of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 and will be used for determining voter eligibility for the City of Barrie’s 2026 Municipal and School Board Election. Questions regarding this collection may be directed to the Deputy City Clerk, Information Management, Privacy, and Elections at 705-739-4242 extension 4597.

Access the voter registration tool

Access to the online voter registration tool closes at 5pm on October 26, to help ensure staff have enough time to process new registrations.

Alternative Options

You can also check if you're on the voters list by emailing be.counted@barrie.ca or calling 705-728-VOTE (8683), Monday to Friday, 8:30am–4:30pm. To add or correct elector information, you can visit Legislative and Court Services on the first floor of City Hall, 70 Collier Street, during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30am–4:30pm).

Offices you're voting for:

• Mayor
• Councillor
• School Board Trustee
   

View the certified candidates list

• Destroy your existing letter that lists the incorrect ward number. The letter is no longer valid and the original PIN has been deactivated.
• Watch for a new letter in the mail, marked "Updated Voter Information." The letter is printed on yellow paper and the envelope has yellow address panels. Updated Voter Information Letters began arriving on October 5. 
• Use the updated letter and its PIN to vote during the voting period. This issue does not affect voters' ability to cast a ballot, as voting does not open until October 16, 2026, at 10am. 

Example: Ward 10 updated VIL

This issue only impacts Ward 10 residents. No action is required from voters in any other ward – your existing Voter Information Letters and PINs remain valid. You can view your ward using the interactive ward boundaries map.

The preliminary list of electors is provided to the City from Elections Ontario. While this has up-to-date information, there are some information gaps. Use the registration and lookup portal to confirm you are on the List, and add or correct your information if necessary.

If you did not receive a voter information letter, you are not on the municipal voters list. You must be on the list in order to vote. You can register by:

• Using the online voter registration portal
• Visiting the Election Help Desk on the first floor of City Hall (70 Collier Street) during regular business hours (Monday–Friday, 8:30am–4:30pm)
• Visiting a Voter Assistance Centre during the voting period

Yes. You may vote in any municipality where you are the owner, tenant or spouse of an owner or tenant of land in that municipality — but only once per municipality.

No, you may only vote once in a municipal election and you must vote in the ward where you live.

If you reside outside of Barrie but own residential property in Barrie, or are the spouse of someone who does, you may qualify as a non-resident elector. Non-resident electors are eligible to vote for the offices of Mayor and Councillor in Barrie and may also be eligible to vote for School Board Trustee if, on Voting Day, they are not eligible to vote for the same school board in their municipality of residence (for example, if they are eligible for a different school board).

Non-residential, commercial or industrial property electors are only entitled to vote for Mayor and Councillor. They are not entitled to vote for school board trustees in Barrie.

You cannot remove a voter from your household. The individual must contact Barrie Election staff directly. Please email be.counted@barrie.ca for further information.

If you are a post-secondary student who currently lives outside Barrie while attending school, you may still be eligible to vote in the City of Barrie Municipal and School Board Election. Online and telephone voting make it easy to vote from anywhere.

All voters must be on the voters list to receive a voter information letter with a personalized PIN, and access to the online voting portal and telephone number for telephone voting. Didn’t receive your voter information letter? Make sure you’re added to the voters list, and contact a member of the elections team at 705-728-VOTE (8683) or Be.Counted@barrie.ca to receive your letter and voting PIN.

The City of Barrie is committed to ensuring the security and privacy of the vote. We will conduct vote counting audits, and review third-party penetration testing to ensure the final election results are secure, efficient and accurate.

The City’s online and telephone voting vendor, Voatz, leverages robust testing procedures internally and with third-party entities to ensure compliance with industry standards. The Voatz software development team incorporates industry-standard, agile development and testing procedures, and the quality assurance team is led by professional testers with deep experience in certified election systems.

Voatz regularly tests its voting system to identify and address potential security risks. This includes conducting simulated attacks, following established cybersecurity and voting-system guidelines, and working with independent organizations to evaluate the platform. Its testing approach is informed by recognized cybersecurity and voting-system guidelines, including those developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.0.

During authentication, the Voatz platform encrypts voter information and securely verifies the voter. Once authentication is complete, identifying information is separated from the ballot, allowing the voter to be verified without linking their identity to their vote. Votes are then stored securely and anonymously.

The Voatz platform goes to significant lengths to prevent a vote from being submitted if a device is compromised, has malware on it or is operating on a compromised network. Only certain types of smartphones equipped with the latest security features are compatible with Voatz. The platform’s threat detection mechanisms can identify if a mobile device is running malicious applications or has been rooted or jailbroken; if issues are found, the voter will see an error message and will not be able to submit a ballot. To mitigate a compromised wireless network, Voatz uses end-to-end encryption for all submitted ballots and forces users to switch to a safer network if needed before letting them proceed.

The City of Barrie has stringent information technology and security protocols. All personal voter information is kept secure and is used for authorized purposes only. Voter information collected by the City of Barrie can only be used for election purposes, in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Elections Act. In addition, all staff workstations are kept up-to-date and protected by access password, firewall, anti-virus, anti-spam ware and disk encryption.

If you need help casting your ballot, or do not have access to an internet-connected computer, tablet or smartphone, you can visit one of the City’s five Voter Assistance Centres.

The integrity of the electoral process and secrecy of your vote is very important. The Municipal Elections Act, 1996, states that no person shall:

• Vote without being qualified to do so.
• Vote more than once in Barrie.
• Interfere with a voter who is marking a ballot.
• Obtain or attempt to obtain information about how an elector has or will vote.

Yes. Candidates, or their representatives, are permitted to canvass door-to-door in apartments and condos between 9am and 9pm.

Each eligible voter can only vote once in the 2026 Barrie Municipal and School Board Election, regardless of how many properties they own — it’s the law. If convicted of voter fraud, you may face:

• A fine of up to $25,000
• Jail time for up to 6 months

A contributor shall not make contributions exceeding a total of $1,200 to any one candidate in an election. In addition, a contributor shall not make contributions exceeding a total of $5,000 to multiple candidates for office on the same council or local board. Cash contributions over $25 are not to be accepted. Any contribution exceeding $25 shall be made in a manner that associates the contributor’s name and account with the payment, or by a money order signed by the contributor.