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Eligible voters for municipal elections must be:
If you own a trailer in a campground, you may qualify to vote if you are entitled to use the land:
If you meet these criteria, you may be considered a tenant of the trailer park and eligible to participate in the municipal election.
Voting while travelling abroad
If you will be out of the country from October 7 until October 26 you are still eligible to vote. Please contact the Elections Team after the voting period opens October 19.
Update your voter information: Residents can contact the Elections Team directly to update or correct their voter information.
Register to vote: To be added to the Voters' List, electors must visit the municipal office in-person with Form 24 (EL15) - Application to Amend Voters' List and acceptable identification proving your qualifying address.
If you require accommodations, please contact the Elections Team to arrange an appointment.
The Town of Saugeen Shores will be using an internet and telephone voting system. Paper ballots will not be available.
Electors will be able to vote online or by telephone during the coting period.
In alignment with Bruce County area municipalities, election services have been procured from Simply Voting, a Canadian-based eDemocracy provider located in Montreal. Simply Voting Inc. also provided voting services for the previous municipal election, allowing Saugeen Shores electors to experience a familiar and user-friendly voting process.
For more information about the security and reliability of Simply Voting, please review the Integrated Electronic Voting Solutions for Municipal Voting Events document.
First, you must ensure you are registered to vote which can be done directly with our Elections Team.
Once you have confirmed you are on the voters' list here’s what you can expect:
Voting by internet allows you to vote from the comfort of your home anytime throughout the election period. Your Voting Information Letter will include a website to access via a web browser and the credentials necessary for authentication to securely cast your ballot. You will arrive at our secure voting site and need to authenticate yourself using your credentials.
Voting by telephone allows electors to vote without having access to the internet or modern technology, you simply need a phone with a touch-tone dial pad such as a landline or smart phone. Your Voting Information Letter will include a phone number to call and the credentials necessary for authentication to securely cast your ballot.
A Voting Assistance Centre will be available at the Pryde Aquatic and Wellness Centre (The AWC) in Port Elgin throughout the voting period to assist voters with internet voting. Voting kiosks will be available for those who need access to a computer or support casting their votes.
The AWC offers accessible parking and entrances, and members of the Elections Team will be available to provide assistance and answer questions throughout the voting process.
Voting Assistance Centre Hours:
Free Internet Access for Voters
Free internet access for voters is available at Bruce County Public Library locations. Voters who require internet access to obtain election information or complete election related activities can visit any Bruce County Public Library location during their regular operating hours.
Bruce County Public Library - Southampton Branch:
Address: 235 High St, Southampton, ON N0H 2L0
Phone Number: (519) 797-3586
Operating Hours
Bruce County Public Library - Port Elgin Branch:
Address: 708 Goderich St, Port Elgin, ON N0H 2C0
Phone Number: (519) 832-2201
Operating Hours
Our Elections Team is working with our long-term care homes to ensure residents are registered and able to vote.
Who am I eligible to vote for in the municipal election?
Eligible voters in Saugeen Shores can vote for:
Your ward is determined by the address of the property where you live, rent, or own property in Saugeen Shores.
Who do I vote for in the school board election?
School Board Trustee:
Voters in Saugeen Shores also vote for their school board trustee.
Property owners in Ontario are required to support a school board, even if they do not have children or their children are not currently attending school. In the case of a residential property occupied by tenants, the tenants can direct the school support for that property. By default, school support is directed to your municipality’s English Public School Board.
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is legislatively required to collect school support information and provide it in the assessment roll to every municipality and school board. By ensuring that you are supporting the school board of your choosing, you will be able to vote in the next municipal and school board election for trustees in that school board. Property owners, occupants, and tenants can update their school support designation online at mpac.ca/schoolsupport.
In Saugeen Shores, the school boards are English Public, English Separate, French Public, and French Separate.
School Support Updates after the June 1 Deadline
June 1 was the deadline to update your school support designation so MPAC could provide accurate information to Elections Ontario for the creation of the Preliminary List of Electors, in accordance with election timelines. You can still update your designation after June 1 using MPAC AboutMyProperty™ or MPAC’s online portal for tenants. Your change will be recorded by MPAC, but it will not appear on the Preliminary List of Electors. After submitting your update, you will receive an email confirmation. To have your information updated on the final Voters List, provide this confirmation to your municipality by bringing it to the Municipal Office or emailing it to clerk@saugeenshores.ca.
I am a non-resident elector and own property in multiple wards; can I vote in multiple wards?
If you are a non-resident elector and you own or rent properties in more than one ward in Saugeen Shores, you must choose one ward to vote in. Make sure that you are on the voters’ list for that qualifying address.
I am a resident elector and own property in multiple wards; which ward am I eligible to vote in?
As a resident elector, you must vote in the ward where you live. If you are also the owner or tenant of a property in another ward or your spouse owns or rents a property in another ward, you are not permitted to vote in that ward instead.
Why is the Town using internet and telephone voting?
How does the Town protect the integrity and security of the election?
The Town of Saugeen Shores and its election services provider, Simply Voting, use a combination of administrative, technical, and procedural safeguards designed to protect the election process.
These measures include secure voter authentication, encryption, audit logging, controlled system access, routine testing, and monitoring throughout the election.
While no voting system can eliminate all risk, multiple safeguards are in place to help protect election integrity.
Will the election system be independently tested or audited?
Simply Votings platform undergoes regular third-party penetration testing and source code security audits. The company also maintains SOC 2 compliance and uses independent security monitoring and scanning services.
In addition, the Town conducts its own testing and verification of election data, ballot configuration, voter information, and election procedures before voting begins.
Can candidates and scrutineers observe election testing and vote tabulation?
The rights and responsibilities of candidates and scrutineers are governed by the Municipal Elections Act and the Town's 2026 Municipal Election Procedures.
Information regarding testing, voting processes, and tabulation procedures is provided in accordance with those requirements.
Will the Town publish election security reports or audit information?
How are ballots counted while keeping votes secret?
The voting system records voter participation separately from ballot content.
This allows election officials to confirm that an eligible voter has voted and reconcile participation records with ballot totals while maintaining ballot secrecy.
How can a recount be conducted without paper ballots?
Any recount would be conducted in accordance with the Municipal Elections Act and the Town's 2026 Municipal Election Procedures.
The legislation provides a framework for recounts when alternative voting methods such as internet and telephone voting are used.
Can someone change the voter list, ballot, or election results?
Access to election administration functions is limited to authorized election officials.
Administrator activity is logged and auditable, and access to election systems is subject to security controls, monitoring, and established procedures.
What should I do if I believe someone has used my voting PIN?
Contact the Elections Office immediately.
Election officials will investigate the situation and take any actions available under the Municipal Elections Act and the Town's election procedures.
Voters can help protect their vote by keeping their PIN confidential and reporting any concerns as soon as possible.
Can someone vote more than once?
The voting system is designed to allow only one ballot to be accepted for each eligible voter. Once a ballot has been successfully cast, the system records that the voter has participated and prevents additional ballots from being accepted for that voter.
How is my privacy protected during online and telephone voting?
Simply Voting advises that voter identity information and ballot selections are stored separately. This separation helps preserve ballot secrecy and ensures that individual votes cannot be connected to specific voters through the voting process.
What happens if someone commits voter fraud?
Attempting to vote unlawfully, impersonate another voter, misuse a voting PIN, or otherwise interfere with the election process may constitute an offence under the Municipal Elections Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.
Allegations of election-related offences may be investigated and referred to the appropriate authorities and may result in significant penalties.
Where is election data stored?
Simply Voting advises that election data is protected through encrypted communications, encrypted data storage, routine backups, and redundant Canadian data centres designed to support system reliability and security.
Contact Us
Elections Team
600 Tomlinson Drive, P.O. Box 820
Port Elgin, ON N0H 2C0
Phone 519-832-2008 Ext. 100
Email elections@saugeenshores.ca
