Election Accessibility Plan
Everyone welcome
The City of Markham is proud of the richness of its different cultures and communities. Our diversity is our strength, and comes with the responsibility to respect, support and embrace people of all backgrounds and abilities.
As the City continues to grow, so to do the needs and expectations of the people and communities who call Markham home. It’s essential that we continue to support diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, anti-racism, and anti-discrimination across all our services, including municipal and school board elections.
Our City thrives when everyone feels welcome and a sense of belonging that allows them to live their fullest life free from barriers.
Ensuring access for all
Elections Markham is committed to supporting people and communities by providing barrier-free access in the 2026 Markham Municipal Election, supporting an election experience that is inclusive, fair, and transparent.
- Background
This report has been prepared under Section 12.1(2) of Ontario's Municipal Elections Act.
Markham's City Clerk is responsible for the overall conduct and integrity of municipal and school board elections in the City of Markham. Under Ontario's Municipal Elections Act and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), the City Clerk is authorized and directed to establish policies and procedures that support persons with disabilities in participating in Markham's elections.
Our focus on accessibility is guided by the AODA’s Integrated Accessibility Standards:
- Information and communications;
- Employment;
- Transportation;
- Design of public spaces; and,
- Customer service.
In the 2026 Markham Municipal Election:
- Persons with disabilities have full and equal access to election information and services;
- Persons with disabilities have full access to voting places;
- Persons with disabilities can independently and privately mark their ballot, either online or in person with a paper ballot or touchscreen;
- Persons with disabilities can receive voting help, if needed and as requested; and,
- Persons of all backgrounds and abilities feel welcome and a sense of belonging.
What else shapes our services?
- Building Markham’s Future Together: 2020 – 2026 Strategic Plan
- Markham’s Diversity Action Plans
- Elections Markham’s 2022 Post-Election Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Report
- 2021 Canadian Census
- Voter experience surveys (2003 to 2022)
- Consultation with advisory committees and key community partners
- Post-election reporting
By law, the City Clerk is required to prepare a public report after every election outlining the steps taken to identify, remove and prevent barriers to access for voters and candidates with disabilities, as well as opportunities for further accessibility improvements moving forward. This helps Elections Markham to continue to build a more inclusive experience for all candidates and voters.
- Voting options
Online voting
Remote online voting will be available from October 16 (10 AM) to 26 (8 PM). During this period, registered voters with a Voter Information Letter will be able to cast their ballot online anytime, anywhere over the internet using a personal computer or mobile device.
Elections Markham’s online voting system has been designed according to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA so that all voters can read, understand, navigate and mark their ballot independently. This includes:
- Responsive web design scaling ballot contents to the voter’s screen
- Appropriate page contrast and text alignment to optimize readability
- Alternative text tags to convey meaning for non-text content
- Logical, predictable, and consistent reading order and navigation elements
- Compatibility with personal assistive hardware (e.g., alternate input devices) and software (e.g., screen readers)
In-person voting
In-person voting will be available from October 23 to 26 at select voting places across Markham. Every voting place will be supplied with ballots to serve voters registered in any of Markham’s 8 wards and for any of Markham’s 4 school boards.
The paper ballots used in this election have been designed according to the CNIB Foundation’s Clear Print Accessibility Standards, with special attention paid to appropriate type colour, font size and style, character spacing, margin and column spacing, paper finish, and simplified instructional language. Ballot marking instruction graphics will be posted inside voter privacy screens in multiple languages, including plain English, French, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Farsi, Punjabi, Tamil and Urdu.
Accessible support services available at voting places will include:
- Magnifying sheets
- Easy-grip pens
- Assistive marking technology featuring ballot magnifying and contrast adjustment tools, touchscreen and audio navigation, Braille keypads, paddle buttons, and sip and puff
- Key voter information in multiple languages
Service animals are welcome at all voting places. Voters requiring additional personal support when marking their ballot are encouraged to ask an election official or bring someone they know. Election officials are trained in accessible customer service and are sworn to protect ballot secrecy.
Special ballots
From September 28 to October 22, voters unable to vote online or at a voting place can request a special ballot by appointment at Elections Markham Headquarters (located at the Markham Civic Centre's Legislative Services counter). Appointments can be booked using our online appointment form or by email.
Elections Markham also offers special ballots for voters at retirement residences, long-term care homes, and other designated facilities where residents and/or service users have difficulty accessing services.
Elections Markham works with these facilities to set up a special on-site voting place serving resident voters during voting days. If an on-site voting place is not possible due to facility restrictions, Elections Markham will work with the facility staff to deliver special ballot kits for every resident voter who wants to vote.
A special ballot may also be requested by voters who are unable to vote online or in person at a voting place due to chronic illness, injury, or disability. Voters requesting a special ballot at their residence may contact us by email.
- Accessible communications
Virtual assistant
Our website features a 24/7 virtual assistant offering enhanced customer service around the clock, making it easier than ever for voters to get reliable, timely, and accurate election information.
Digital accessibility
Our website has been designed in compliance with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)'s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA, which is the AODA's current information and communication standard.
Assistive technology
Elections Markham is proud to offer free assistive technology for people accessing information or voting online from a personal device and who have trouble typing, using a mouse, reading, or don't have access to their own assistive device.
Elections Markham Help Desk
Elections Markham is available to help with any issues that voters may encounter in accessing election services.
Contact us:
- By phone at 905.477.7000 x8683 (VOTE)
- By email: vote@markham.ca
- In-person or by mail: Markham Civic Centre, Legislative Services, 101 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham Ontario, L3R 9W3
- Staff training
Election workers will be trained to serve voters of different abilities in a way that accommodates and is responsive to their individual needs.
Our election workers will receive training in:
- How to interact and communicate with persons with different disabilities; and,
- How to use and support the use accessible ballot marking technology;
- What to do if someone is having difficulty finding election information or services; and,
- How to interact with service animals;
All election workers will be sworn to protect the secrecy of the voting process and receive training on the “TALK” principle during their training:
- T – Take the time to ask “May I help you?”
- A – Ask don’t assume
- L – Listen attentively & speak directly to voter
- K – Know what aids are available to help voters
- Notice of temporary service disruptions
If there is a temporary disruption to election information or services, Elections Markham will notify the public through:
- Elections Markham’s website and virtual assistant;
- Elections Markham Help Desk;
- At the entrance to the physical site of the disruption (if applicable)
- City of Markham eNews;
- Social media; and,
- Local media (where possible and required).
The notice will include:
- The reason for the disruption;
- The expected length of the disruption; and,
- Other methods of delivering the information or service.
Every effort will be made to communicate the information or service to persons with disabilities in an alternate format upon request.
- Voting places
Locations
Markham voters will be able to vote in person at any designated voting place in Markham. Voters will not have assigned polling stations. All voting places are accessible and are selected based on accessibility criteria set by law, addressing items such as accessible parking, building design, wayfinding, public transit service, and facility accommodations.
Getting to voting places
In selecting all voting vlaces for the election, Elections Markham evaluated whether the location:
- Is close to accessible transit routes;
- Is located on the same street as a transit stop;
- Is clearly visible from the street;
- Can support proper directional signage; and,
- Has an accessible entrance.
Parking
Designated accessible parking is reserved close to the entrance of all Voting Places and are clearly marked. Additional temporary accessible parking will be available at voting places, where possible. Curb cuts will be identified so users of mobility aids (such as wheelchairs, scooters, canes or crutches) can easily enter the facility. Routine checks of routes to the Voting Place’s entrance will be made throughout the day during scheduled voting times to make sure that these areas remain unobstructed and accessible.
Entrances
The entrances to voting places for persons with disabilities will be clearly marked. Entrances will be wide enough for a mobility device to pass through and offer hardware that can be operated by a person using a closed fist. Election officials will help open doors that are difficult to open or provide an alternative entrance.
Interior
All voting places will be laid out in a manner that allows enough space for a mobility device to pass through. Any doormats or carpeting will be leveled with the floor to prevent potential tripping hazards. All voting areas will be well lit and seating will be made available.
Staffing
To provide translation support at voting places, election officials will be asked on their employment application about additional language skills. This information will be used to place election workers at voting places where their language skills will be best used. Each voting place manager will be given a list of the languages spoken by the election officials at their voting place. Voters can also access the City of Markham’s Language Line through the Elections Markham Help Desk if an election official does not speak their language.
Accessible voting booths
Accessible voting booths will be available at each voting place. Voting screens will be low in height and have a wide area to allow people who use a wheelchair or scooter to vote independently and privately. Accessible ballot marking technology will be available to support voters with a wide range of abilities.
- Accessible campaigns
During their nomination appointment, candidates will be provided with a guide on running an accessible election campaign. This will include best practices around the design of inclusive campaign materials; selection and design of a campaign office; budgeting for accessible campaign resources; and demonstrating awareness of the different barriers persons with disabilities face when participating in elections.
If a candidate is required to incur expenses related to a disability, those costs are excluded from their statutory spending limits as long as they are directly related to the election, their disability, and would not have otherwise been spent.
- Public education and outreach
Election information in alternate formats
Requests for accessible formats and communication supports will be arranged for a timely manner that takes into account the person’s needs due to the disability.
Persons needing help navigating Elections Markham's website or wanting to provide general feedback are invited to contact us:
- By phone at 905.477.7000 x8683 (VOTE)
- By email at vote@markham.ca
- By mail at the Markham Civic Centre, Legislative Services, 101 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham Ontario, L3R 9W3
Community consultations
To continue informing our approach to accessibility, Elections Markham consulted with various community partners including the City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, Race Relations Committee, and Senior's Roundtable to get feedback on the plans for the upcoming election.
Public education and outreach
The Elections Markham outreach team has proactively engaged more than 60 local community organizations that serve Markham’s diverse and traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities. Presentations have been delivered in-person and virtually throughout the election year to maximize engagement with voters across the City and reduce barriers to access.
Accessible and inclusive communication
To maximize voter engagement, a mix of traditional and new media will be used in the outreach program for the upcoming election. Voter information will be communicated in plain, accessible, and inclusive language, as made available in various formats.
Voter information in multiple languages
A voter registration campaign and other key information has been translated to reach and engage more voters in Markham than ever before.
Languages have been selected based on the 2021 Canadian Census and include:
- French
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese
- Tamil
- Farsi
- Urdu
- Punjabi
Voters can access the City of Markham’s Language Line through the Elections Markham Help Desk and receive customer service in more than 150 languages.
- Striving for continuous improvement
Elections Markham is committed to providing a transparent, welcoming and barrier-free election process.
As the City continues to grow, evolve and change, so will the many and different needs and preferences of the communities that call Markham home.
It is imperative to uphold efforts to support diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, anti-racism, and anti-discrimination, today and in the future, in all our services, including our municipal and school board elections.
- Feedback
Feedback about the manner in which election services are provided to voters can be submitted to Elections Markham in any of the following ways:
- Phone: 905.477.7000 x8683 (VOTE)
- Email: vote@markham.ca
- Mail:
Elections Markham
Markham Civic Centre
101 Town Centre Boulevard
Markham, Ontario, L3R 9W3
In your feedback, please include:
- The contact information of the person making the complaint or request;
- The date the complaint or request is being made;
- A description of the complaint or request; and,
- How the person would like the complaint or request resolved.
The information, complaint or request will be recorded by Elections Markham, who will try to resolve complaints or requests in a timely manner. The person submitting the complaint or request will be contacted once a decision or resolution has been reached.
The feedback we receive provides Elections Markham with an opportunity to:
- Take corrective measures to prevent similar recurrences;
- Address training needs;
- Enhance service delivery; and,
- Provide alternative methods of providing election services.
- Additional information
Elections Markham
Elections Markham can answer questions about running for office, the election in general, specific services for persons with disabilities, and the community outreach program for the election.
Elections Markham Website
The Elections Markham website is the official source for the latest and most reliable information related to the election.
News releases and public service announcements
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Follow us on social media
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Be a part of the conversation by using #MarkhamElection and #MkmPoli.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Get information about municipal elections, the Province of Ontario’s “2026 Municipal Elections Candidates Guide,” and the Ministry’s commitment to promote greater accessibility for eligible voters and candidates with disabilities.
Visit Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing website
Service Ontario eLaws
Access all current statutes including the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001, and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
- Related links
Contact
Markham Civic Centre
101 Town Centre Boulevard
Markham, ON, L3R 9W3