Amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification including Lowering the Polling Age

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The decision

2025-04-23 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on April 23 and 24, 2025, adopted the following: 1. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification, as follows and as outlined in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk: a. lower the minimum age to vote in a poll from 18 years of age to 16 years of age, with the exception of polls required under Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas; b.

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replace the requirement in Subsection 190-4.C. for an affidavit to be added to the polling list with "proof of ownership or tenancy"; c. add "Spoiled Ballot" to the list of definitions in Subsection 190-1, as drafted in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk; d. add "Family Day" and "Remembrance Day" to the list of observances in the definition of "Holiday"; e. add Community Council approved policies to the Application of Polling Procedure in Subsection 190-2; f. remove the requirement in Subsections 190-5.A; 190-6; and 190-8, for the Clerk to "mail" ballots, and instead indicate that ballots will be "provided"; g. amend Subsection 190-7, Accepted Ballots in accordance with the edits in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk; h. add a new subsection to Subsection 190-8, Minimum response rate and majority regarding spoiled ballots, as drafted in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk; and i. add "revisions to the polling list" to the confidentiality provisions in Subsection 190-10. 2. City Council direct that the amendments to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification, in Part 1 above come into force on November 1, 2025. 3. City Council direct that any poll that is commenced prior to November 1, 2025, but completed after November 1, 2025, be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification as it existed immediately prior to the amendments coming into force on November 1, 2025.

The vote

Adopt Item · Carried, 18-3

For (18)Alejandra Bravo, Amber Morley, Anthony Perruzza, Ausma Malik, Brad Bradford, Chris Moise, Dianne Saxe, Frances Nunziata, Gord Perks, Jamaal Myers, James Pasternak, Josh Matlow, Lily Cheng, Michael Thompson, Olivia Chow, Parthi Kandavel, Rachel Chernos Lin, Shelley Carroll

Against (3)Jon Burnside, Nick Mantas, Stephen Holyday

Absent (5)Jennifer McKelvie, Mike Colle, Paul Ainslie, Paula Fletcher, Vincent Crisanti

The whole record, all 26 members

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On the agenda

As the city filed it

This report responds to Item 2024.DM23.1 , which requests the City Clerk to report on an approach to reducing the minimum age to vote in a neighbourhood poll from 18 to 16. In addition to lowering the minimum polling age, the City Clerk is proposing additional amendments to Municipal Code, Chapter 190, Polling and Notification to ease participation in the polling process and improve polling administration.

Staff recommended

The City Clerk recommends that: 1. City Council amend Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification as follows and as outlined in Attachment 1: a. lower the minimum age to vote in a poll from 18 years of age to 16 years of age, with the exception of polls required under Municipal Code Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas; b. replace the requirement in Subsection 190-4.C. for an affidavit to be added to the polling list with "proof of ownership or tenancy"; c.

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add "Spoiled Ballot" to the list of definitions in Subsection 190-1, as drafted in Attachment 1 to this report; d. add "Family Day" and "Remembrance Day" to the list of observances in the definition of "Holiday"; e. add Community Council approved policies to the Application of Polling Procedure in Subsection 190-2; f. remove the requirement in Subsections 190-5.A; 190-6; and 190-8, for the Clerk to "mail" ballots, and instead indicate that ballots will be "provided"; g. amend Subsection 190-7, Accepted Ballots in accordance with the edits in Attachment 1 to this report; h. add a new subsection to Subsection 190-8, Minimum response rate and majority regarding spoiled ballots, as drafted in Attachment 1 to this report; and i. add "revisions to the polling list" to the confidentiality provisions in Subsection 190-10. 2. City Council direct that the amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification in Recommendation 1 above come into force on November 1, 2025. 3. City Council direct that any poll that is commenced prior to November 1, 2025 but completed after November 1, 2025 be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification as it existed immediately prior to the amendments coming into force on November 1, 2025.

Considered

2025-04-14 · Executive Committee · adopted
Decision as filed
The Executive Committee recommends that: 1. City Council amend Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification as follows and as outlined in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk: a. lower the minimum age to vote in a poll from 18 years of age to 16 years of age, with the exception of polls required under Municipal Code Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas; b. replace the requirement in Subsection 190-4.C.
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for an affidavit to be added to the polling list with "proof of ownership or tenancy"; c. add "Spoiled Ballot" to the list of definitions in Subsection 190-1, as drafted in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk; d. add "Family Day" and "Remembrance Day" to the list of observances in the definition of "Holiday"; e. add Community Council approved policies to the Application of Polling Procedure in Subsection 190-2; f. remove the requirement in Subsections 190-5.A; 190-6; and 190-8, for the Clerk to "mail" ballots, and instead indicate that ballots will be "provided"; g. amend Subsection 190-7, Accepted Ballots in accordance with the edits in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk; h. add a new subsection to Subsection 190-8, Minimum response rate and majority regarding spoiled ballots, as drafted in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk; and i. add "revisions to the polling list" to the confidentiality provisions in Subsection 190-10. 2. City Council direct that the amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification in Recommendation 1 above come into force on November 1, 2025. 3. City Council direct that any poll that is commenced prior to November 1, 2025 but completed after November 1, 2025 be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification as it existed immediately prior to the amendments coming into force on November 1, 2025.
2025-04-23 · Toronto City Council · adopted

On the record

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