128. (1) The voting hours on polling day are

(a) from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.,
if the electoral district is in the Newfoundland, Atlantic
or Central time zone;

(b) from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.,
if the electoral district is in the Eastern time zone;

(c) from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.,
if the electoral district is in the Mountain time zone; and

(d) from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.,
if the electoral district is in the Pacific time zone.

Time to Employees for Voting

132. (1) Every employee who is an elector is entitled, during voting hours on polling day, to have three consecutive hours for the purpose of casting his or her vote and, if his or her hours of work do not allow for those three consecutive hours, his or her employer shall allow the time for voting that is necessary to provide those three consecutive hours.

(2) The time that the employer shall allow for voting under subsection (1) is at the convenience of the employer.

(3) This section and section 133 do not apply to an employee of a company that transports goods or passengers by land, air or water who is employed outside his or her polling division in the operation of a means of transportation, if the additional time referred to in subsection (1) cannot be allowed without interfering with the transportation service.

133. (1) No employer may make a deduction from the pay of an employee, or impose a penalty, for the time that the employer shall allow for voting under subsection 132(1).

(2) An employer who pays an employee less than the amount that the employee would have earned on polling day, had the employee continued to work during the time referred to in subsection 132(2) that the employer allowed for voting, is deemed to have made a deduction from the pay of the employee, regardless of the basis on which the employee is paid.

134. No employer shall, by intimidation, undue influence or by any other means, interfere with the granting to an elector in their employ of the three consecutive hours for voting, as provided for in section 132.

ELECTION DAY IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2003

HOURS:

Election Day voting hours are:
9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

If you prefer to vote before election day, you may take advantage of any advance polls in your electoral district. All advance poll locations are chosen for ease of access. Ballots cast at the advance polls are counted at the close of election day.

During an election, the dates, times, and locations of advance polls will be posted on the ELECTION ONTARIO web site and in the newspaper.

Every voter is entitled to have three consecutive hours in which to vote. Employers whose employees have three consecutive hours of their own time available during polling hours need not allow additional time for voting. If, however, an employee does not have this time available, it is stressed that the amount of time required:

• must be requested by the employee (at least seven[7] days in advance),
• is at a time convenient to the employer, and
• once requested by the employee, must be allowed by the employer.

For more information on the legislation affecting time off to vote, see Section 6 of the Election Act (BELOW).

Time off for employees to participate in election

6. (1) Subsection (1.1) applies in respect of an employee who is a returning officer or has been appointed by a returning officer to be a poll official. 1998, c. 9, s. 5.

Leave

(1.1) Every employer shall, on an employee's request made at least seven days before the leave is to begin, grant the employee leave to perform his or her duties under this Act; the employer shall not dismiss or otherwise penalize the employee because the employee has exercised the right to be granted leave. 1998, c. 9, s. 5.

Remuneration

(2) The employer is not required to remunerate an employee for any leave granted under subsection (1), but such leave shall not be subtracted from any vacation entitlement. R.S.O. 1990, c. E.6, s. 6 (2).

(3) Every employee who is qualified to vote shall, while the polls are open on polling day at an election, have three consecutive hours for the purpose of voting and, if the hours of his or her employment do not allow for three consecutive hours, the employee may request that his or her employer allow such additional time for voting as may be necessary to provide those three consecutive hours and the employer shall grant the request. R.S.O. 1990, c. E.6, s. 6 (3).

Deduction from pay prohibited

(4) No employer shall make any deduction from the pay of any employee or impose upon or exact from the employee any penalty by reason of his or her absence from work during the consecutive hours that the employer is required to allow under subsection (3). R.S.O. 1990, c. E.6, s. 6 (4).

Time off best suiting convenience of employer

(5) Any time off for voting as provided in subsection (3) shall be granted at the time of day that best suits the convenience of the employer. R.S.O. 1990, c. E.6, s. 6 (5).

Elector's absence from work

50. (1) An elector whose hours of employment are such that he or she would not otherwise have three consecutive hours to vote on voting day is entitled to be absent from work for as long as is necessary to allow that amount of time. 1996, c. 32, Sched., s. 50 (1).

Employer's convenience

(2) The absence shall be timed to suit the employer's convenience as much as possible. 1996, c. 32, Sched., s. 50 (2).

No deduction or penalty

(3) The employer shall not make a deduction from the employee's pay or impose any other penalty for the absence from work. 1996, c. 32, Sched., s. 50 (3).