On-Campus Voting Initiatives at the University of Toronto (PDAD&C #21)

From: Andrew Thomson, Chief of Government Relations
Date: October 11, 2019
Re:  On-Campus Voting Initiatives at the University of Toronto  (PDAD&C #21)


I am writing to provide your office with information related to on-campus voting opportunities and initiatives at the University of Toronto for the 2019 federal election. We encourage you to share this information on your divisional communication channels.

This federal Election University of Toronto students have multiple voting opportunities during advance polling days, at a returning office, or on Election Day. Students may vote locally for the riding of their current residence, or nationally, for another riding (e.g. the riding of a student’s permanent residence).

1. Advance Polls – October 11 to 14:

  • University-Rosedale:
    • Hart House offers on-campus voting during advance polls. 
  • Spadina-Fort York:
    • Students from the Spadina-Fort York riding (which is adjacent to University-Rosedale) may vote at the Hart House advance polling location during advance poll dates, as national voters (vs. local). However, if they prefer voting in their riding, they can vote at the Head Office for Spadina-Fort York for their local candidates. The address is: Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1B2 (open Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday: noon to 4:00 p.m.).  
  • Mississauga-Erin Mills:
    • There are no on-campus voting location in the riding of Mississauga-Erin Mills. All advance polls voting locations are detailed on https://elections.ca/ where residents are encouraged to enter in their postal code and it will direct them to their advance poll location.
  • Scarborough–Rouge Park:
    • There are no on-campus voting location in the riding of Scarborough Rouge-Park. All advance polls voting locations are detailed on https://elections.ca/ where residents are encouraged to enter in their postal code and it will direct them to their advance poll location.

2. Returning Office – October 8 to 15:

  • Students wishing to vote “nationally” can do so at their local Returning Office (until 6:00 p.m. October 15), which is located at the following locations for each campus:
    • University of Toronto St. George Campus Returning Office: 316 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1W5
    • University of Toronto Mississauga Returning Office: Skyward Business Centre, 2255 Dundas Street West, Suite 402, Mississauga, Ontario L5K 1R6 (corner of Dunwin and Dundas just west of Erin Mills Parkway)
    • University of Toronto Scarborough Returning Office: 787 Milner Avenue, Scarborough, ON M1B 3C3

3. Election Day – October 21:

  • On Election Day polls are open from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
  • The only on-campus voting location at the University of Toronto for Election Day is in the riding of University-Rosedale, located at Hart House on the St. George campus.
  • Residents in the ridings of Mississauga-Erin Mills and Scarborough–Rouge Park are encouraged to find their closest voting location on the Elections Canada website using their postal code: https://elections.ca/

Over the past several weeks, various initiatives were put into place in collaboration with Elections Canada which facilitated letters to students on-campus to advise them of the on-campus voting dates, placed pamphlets in orientation week materials, hung posters at residences, coordinated Elections Canada’s attendance at the September “$5 Lunch” at Hart House and displayed graphics on the screens outside of classrooms to encourage student voting on the St. George campus.  

If you have any questions, please contact the Government Relations Office:

Amanda Pautler
Director, Operations and Chief of Staff
amanda.pautler@utoronto.ca