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Norfolk County voters will have a new option when they cast their ballots in the 2026 municipal election, with online voting being introduced for the first time.
County Clerk William Tigert spoke to us about the new way of voting and his message to voters is simple: if you don’t want to wait in line, vote online.
The letter will include a unique Voter PIN, the voter’s name and address, instructions for beginning the online voting process and a link to the voting portal.
Voters will need internet access and their Voter PIN to cast a ballot online.
The County says the process takes about seven to 10 minutes.
Tigert knows that people may not have reliable internet or may be uncertain about using their devices.
He says the county plans to be there to help those individuals.
The centres will be located at the Langton Community Centre on October 13, the Port Dover Community Centre on October 15, the Simcoe Public Library on October 17, the Delhi Community Centre Arena on October 20 and the Waterford Legion on October 22.
The locations will provide assistance with online voting, while also offering an opportunity to vote using a paper ballot as an advance voting option.
For voters who prefer the traditional method, in-person voting will take place Monday, October 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There will be eight polling locations across Norfolk County – one in each ward, with two locations in Simcoe. Voters will mark a paper ballot, which will then be processed through vote tabulators at the polling stations.
The combination of voting methods could make election night much shorter than in previous years.
The polling locations on election day are the Port Rowan Community Centre for Ward 1, Langton Community Centre for Ward 2, Delhi District Secondary School for Ward 3, Vittoria Community Centre for Ward 4, the Jr Farmers Building and Emmanuel Bible Church in Simcoe for Ward 5, Port Dover Community Centre for Ward 6 and Waterford Legion for Ward 7.
Identification containing the voter’s name and address is required when voting in person, and voters may need to provide two pieces of identification.
The election will include races for mayor and ward councillors, along with trustee races for two public school boards.
Norfolk County has just over 60,000 eligible voters, according to Tigert.
The County is already looking ahead to the 2030 municipal election and will use the 2026 experience to determine whether online voting could eventually replace paper ballots altogether.
More information about the 2026 municipal election, including voting instructions and accessibility information, is available through Norfolk County’s election website.
