About Voting in Bridgewater

For the 2024 Municipal Election in Bridgewater, voting will take place electronically by phone or online.

All qualified electors (voters) will receive a Voter Instruction Letter (VIL) with a PIN to vote in the election. All qualified electors on the official Municipal Elector's List provided by the municipality.

ADVANCED POLLING
If you are voting by phone or online, you may do so at any time beginning on Thursday, October 10, 2024, through Friday, October 18, 2024.

If you require assistance or wish to vote at the Returning Office during the Advanced Polling period, you may come to 60 Pleasant Street (Town Hall) on October 10, 11, or 14 through 18, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to vote.

ORDINARY POLLING (ELECTION) DAY
On Saturday, October 19, you may vote by phone or online from a location of your choosing or, if you require assistance to vote, you may come to the Returning Office, located at 60 Pleasant Street (Town Hall) in Bridgewater, between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

All polls close at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

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What if my name is not on the Elector List?
Eligible electors who are not on the official Elector List will have to go to a location designated by the Election Official and complete the required form to have their name added to the Elector List. Once this is completed you will be given a VIL by the Election Official.

When should I expect to receive my PIN in the mail?
Individual PINs will be mailed to eligible electors so that they are received approximately three (3) to five (5) days prior to the first voting day.

What if I don’t get a PIN in the mail by Election Day?
If you are an eligible elector and on the official Elector List, but you did not get a PIN in the mail by the start of the election period, you can request a replacement PIN. If the Election Official’s records indicate you were sent a PIN in the mail then the original PIN will be
disabled and cannot be used to cast a vote in the election. A replacement PIN will be issued to you if the original PIN has not been voted and you provide appropriate identification.

Why would I not get a PIN in the mail?
If you didn’t get a PIN in the mail one of two things may have happened. First, your name was not on the official Elector List. PINs are only mailed to electors whose names appear on the official Elector List as supplied by the municipality. Secondly, a PIN may have been
mailed to you and it has been delayed for some reason in the mail system. 

Can anyone tell how I voted if they know my PIN?
No. The system does not track how a particular PIN has voted, only that the PIN has been used to cast a vote.

Once I have my PIN, do I have to register in advance if I want to use either the telephone or the internet to cast my vote?
No, there is no registration required. During the election period, using your PIN, you can use either the telephone or the internet to cast your vote or vote using a paper ballot if this is offered by the municipality.

What if I lose or misplace my PIN?
If an elector loses or misplaces their PIN they should contact the Voter HelpLine. The Election Official can decide to replace the missing PIN if it has not already been voted.

They will determine if a voter must travel to a location, sign a form, and then replace the missing PIN, or they can decide to allow the Voter HelpLine agent to authenticate the caller and issue a replacement PIN over the phone. In both cases, the original lost or
missing PIN will be disabled and it will not be able to be voted in the election.

How do I access the voting system?
Voting instructions will be included in the Voter Instruction letter mailed to each eligible elector on the official Elector List. Included in this information are instructions on how to access the voting system. Voters can cast their ballot using the telephone or cell phone by
calling a toll-free number. Voters using personal computers will use the internet to visit a website that will allow them entry into the voting system where they can cast their vote.

Once I enter my PIN and start my voting process do I have to complete all the races on the ballot in one session? For example, what if I am interrupted and have to hang up the phone for some reason or, if I am voting using the internet and have to
leave my session?
No, you do not have to vote all the races on your ballot at one time uninterrupted. You can disconnect from the internet or the telephone and re-connect later, re-enter your PIN, and complete your voting activity at that time. In fact, if you find it more convenient, you can
switch from one method to the other and complete your voting using the other method.

For example, you can start your voting on the internet and at some point close your internet session, and then later re-start the voting process and re-enter your PIN using your phone or cell phone and complete your ballot.

What happens if I access the voting system and am presented with incorrect candidates for my district or ward?
The list of candidates presented to you as a voter is determined by your place of residence as defined on the Elector List. If you have moved and your new address was not updated on the Elector List, (and your Voter Instruction letter and PIN were forwarded
to your new address), then you will see the list of candidates associated with your old place of residence. You exit the voting system without voting and should call the Voter HelpLine and the Election Official will authenticate you and, if satisfied, can then
electronically “re-categorize” the PIN. The correct list of candidates will be presented to you once you re-connect to the voting system.

What do I do if I am not sure if I completed a race or the ballot?
During the voting period you can connect to the voting system and enter your PIN. If you have yet to complete all ballots assigned to you, the system will begin where you left off at the next race you are eligible to complete. When you have completed voting all ballots
assigned to you, entering your PIN online in the voting system during the voting period will display a message containing your vote status. This message will advise if you have completed voting. You can also contact the Voter HelpLine to get more information.

If I am using the telephone to vote, how will I know what number to press to vote for the candidate of my choice or what if I make a mistake and select a different candidate than the one I want to vote for?
The Voter Instruction letter mailed to you has the list of candidates included on it for your reference purpose. In addition, each time the system presents you with a race to vote for; it lists the eligible candidates running for that position and instructs you to select the
corresponding number for that candidate. You may also clear your ballot selections and start over.

Once a vote has been confirmed, can it be changed?
No. Once a vote has been confirmed it cannot be changed. This process is the same as dropping the ballot into the ballot box in a traditional paper based election ensuring complete voter anonymity and secrecy of ballot. The system does not know how the ballot
was voted; only that the PIN was used in the election to cast a vote and thus it cannot be removed from the vote count.

How do I vote if I am away from home, out of town, out of the province, or out of the country?
You can vote during the election voting period using the internet from anywhere in the world. You can also use telephone service and connect to the voting system toll free from anywhere in North America simply by dialing the toll free number contained in your Voter
Instruction letter.

What if I have a rotary phone at home, no cell phone and don’t have a computer with internet service. How can I vote?
You do not have to vote from home. You can vote from any location using any phone with touch tone service or from any computer. You can also vote in person at polling stations if the municipality is offering PC’s and phones at these locations and/or paper ballots in
concert with the electronic voting options. The location of the polling stations can be found in the Voter Instruction letters sent to eligible electors.

If someone calls me and asks for my PIN, what should I do?
You should treat your voting PIN with the same level of secrecy and confidentially you reserve for your bank card and PIN. Do not give your PIN to anyone who may call or approach you for the number.

What do I do if the phone line is busy when I call and try to vote?
If the phone lines are busy, simply hang up and call back a short time later. The voting system is capable of handling a significant volume of calls simultaneously but there is always the possibility that many voters are attempting to call in the same timeframe. Voters will be able to connect to the system over the course of a number of days during the voting period.

Could someone steal my PIN and vote it?
Stealing and opening another person’s mail is illegal. It is also illegal to represent yourself as another person and steal their right to vote in an election. Both these acts are illegal and have penalties defined by law.

IMPORTANT: If you know someone has voted using your PIN illegally report it to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You can obtain a replacement PIN to cast your vote by presenting yourself to the Election Official and swearing an affidavit that the PIN assigned to you was not voted by you but by someone else.

If I am a voter with a disability; deafness, blindness, or a mobility disability, can someone help me with the voting process?
Electronic voting allows increased rights of privacy to voters with physical challenges that make traditional voting at polling stations more difficult. Blind voters can make use of the telephone and deaf voters can use the Internet to vote with little or no assistance required
from others. If you need assistance at the polling station to cast your vote, the Election Official present will be able to assist you.

Would it be possible for me to be sent more than one PIN?
If you received more than one PIN it is because your name appeared on the Elector List more than once. This rare situation might occur if you changed your place of residence and have been enumerated in both locations or you own property and are the registered
resident at both locations. You are only permitted to vote once in a municipality and you should only cast a vote using the PIN associated with your primary place of residence.

Notify the Election Official of the additional PIN and they will disable this PIN rendering it unusable for the election.