How to vote in Barrie
Voting in the 2026 municipal election is by internet or telephone, from wherever you are, October 16 to 26. If you would rather vote at a physical location with staff to help, you can do that too, on October 22, 23, 24 and 26. Here is what you need and when.
Ward 10 voters: your first letter's PIN no longer works — read this
Which ward you vote in may have changed. Barrie's ward boundaries were redrawn in 2025, and the new boundaries apply to this election even though your current councillor represents you until the new council takes office. Find your ward, or read what changed and why it is confusing.
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Check you can vote
On voting day you must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18, and either live in Barrie or own or rent land here (or be the spouse of someone who does) — the exact wording, from both the Act and the Clerk's procedures.
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Check you are on the Voters' List
This is the step people miss. Your PIN only arrives if you are registered at your current address. Check, add or correct your record through the City's Voter Lookup and Registration Portal at barrie.ca/election, by phone at (705) 728-VOTE (8683), by email to Be.Counted@barrie.ca, or in person at Legislative and Court Services, first floor of City Hall, 70 Collier Street. Since September 1 the Elections Ontario tool used earlier in 2026 is closed for this election.
The City states no final registration deadline of its own, and we have asked the Clerk. During the voting period a Voter Assistance Centre can still add you to the list and issue a PIN on the spot. School support is a separate record. Do it early rather than relying on a date we cannot cite.
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Watch for your Voter Information Letter
Letters were mailed from the last week of September and contain your PIN. If yours has not arrived by October 13, contact the City at (705) 728-VOTE (8683) or Be.Counted@barrie.ca, or get your PIN in person at a Voter Assistance Centre with acceptable identification. If you have misplaced it, call (705) 728-VOTE (8683) or email Be.Counted@barrie.ca straight away: the old PIN is deactivated.
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Vote between October 16 and 26
Online or by touch-tone phone, any time from 10:00 a.m. on October 16 until 8:00 p.m. on October 26. How it works, step by step.
Prefer to vote in person? On October 22, 23, 24 and 26, six Voter Assistance Centres let you vote on site, with staff, a support person or an interpreter to help. Staff there can also fix a missing PIN or add you to the Voters' List on the spot. Where and when.
What you are voting for
Three things on one ballot: mayor, one ward councillor, and one school board trustee — for whichever of the four boards you are registered as a supporter of — English public by default; how school support works and how to change yours. See who is running. What they are arguing about is on the issues pages, starting with the encampment state of emergency and how much property taxes have gone up.
BarrieVotes.ca is an unofficial resource. This site is independent and volunteer-run; it is not a City of Barrie site, and no candidate or campaign is behind it. Who runs it and how it works. For anything that determines whether or how your vote counts, the City's election office is the authority: barrie.ca, Be.Counted@barrie.ca, or (705) 728-VOTE (8683).
Sources: Internet and Telephone Voting Election Policies and Procedures for the City of Barrie 2026 Municipal and School Board Elections, City of Barrie — Clerk / Returning Officer, dated May 29, 2026. Original document. The document states it is prepared for convenience only and directs readers to the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. Most of the /vote/ pillar comes from this one document. Retrieved August 9, 2026. 2026 Municipal Election, City of Barrie. Original document. The City’s own election hub, and the authority this site points readers to for anything that decides whether or how their vote counts. Retrieved August 9, 2026. Voter information: "Look out for your voting PIN", City of Barrie. Original document. Letters mailed from the last week of September; no PIN by October 13 means a Voter Assistance Centre with ID; a misplaced letter means calling or emailing at once, which deactivates the old PIN. Pasted from the live page (the City refuses automated fetches). Its "Attention Ward 10 voters" line confirms the misprinted letters. Retrieved October 7, 2026. New City portal makes it easier to check and update voter information, City of Barrie (media release), dated September 1, 2026. Original document. From September 1 the voters' list is checked and corrected through the City's own Voter Lookup and Registration Portal; the Elections Ontario tool used earlier for the 2026 municipal election is closed. Retrieved October 7, 2026. Municipal Elections Act, 1996, S.O. 1996, c. 32, Government of Ontario — e-Laws. Original document. The statute itself. Where this site restates a rule, it cites the Act rather than the Clerk’s summary of it — s.37(1) on acclamations is the clearest case, because it is a duty rather than a decision. e-Laws pages are client-rendered, so the automated recheck cannot diff them; re-verifying the text means reading the rendered page. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
For anything that determines whether or how your vote counts, confirm with the City's election office.
Common questions
When is the next Barrie municipal election?
Election day is Monday, October 26, 2026. Internet and telephone voting runs continuously from October 16 at 10 a.m. to October 26 at 8 p.m. — see every date and deadline.
Who can vote in the Barrie municipal election?
You can vote if, on voting day, you are a Canadian citizen, at least 18, and either live in Barrie or own or rent land here (or are the spouse of someone who does). The exact wording, from the Act and the Clerk's procedures.
Can students vote in Barrie?
Yes, if they are Canadian citizens aged 18 or over. The Municipal Elections Act lets a student have two residences at once: one where they live to attend school, and their permanent home (s. 2(2.1)). A Georgian College student from elsewhere in Ontario can vote both in Barrie and in their home municipality. A student who is not on Barrie's voters' list can be added at a Voter Assistance Centre and vote there. The Clerk's list of acceptable identification includes a document from a college's residence office showing you live on campus, and a post-secondary transcript or report card. International students who are not Canadian citizens cannot vote.
Can permanent residents vote in the Barrie municipal election?
No. Only Canadian citizens can vote in Ontario municipal elections (Municipal Elections Act, s. 17(2)(b)). That holds even for a permanent resident who owns or rents property in Barrie.
Can I vote online or by phone in Barrie?
Yes — the 2026 election is run by internet and telephone voting, from anywhere, using the PIN mailed to you in your Voter Information Letter. How it works, step by step.
Am I on the voters' list in Barrie? How do I check?
Use the City's Voter Lookup and Registration Portal at barrie.ca/election: it confirms whether you are on the list and lets you add yourself or correct your details. Since September 1 the Elections Ontario tool used earlier in 2026 is closed for this election. You can also call (705) 728-VOTE (8683) or email Be.Counted@barrie.ca, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You must be on the list to receive the Voter Information Letter with your PIN. Do not use voterlookup.ca: that service was discontinued and older guides still point to it. Your school-board support is a separate record held by MPAC: how to check it.
Where do I vote in person?
Six Voter Assistance Centres are open on October 22, 23, 24 and 26, with staff to help — locations, dates and hours.