No vote

A man who was in jail awaiting trial complained to us that the administration at his facility would not allow him to vote in the February 2025 provincial election.

A man who was in jail awaiting trial complained to us that the administration at his facility would not allow him to vote in the February 2025 provincial election. All inmates, both sentenced and on remand, are legally able to vote by mail in provincial elections, but this can pose challenges – particularly in cases of snap elections, as this one was, where there is no advance notice of the date and voting occurs within a month of the election announcement.

RESULT: After we raised this case with the Ministry of the Solicitor General, it acknowledged the facility had misinterpreted its policies and given the inmate wrong information. It committed to completing a regional review and issuing greater direction to ensure that all facilities correctly follow Elections Ontario guidance in future so that inmates who are eligible voters can participate in elections.