Online voting

New to online voting? No problem.

Online voting helps make participating in Markham's municipal and school board elections more accessible. With online voting, voters can cast their ballot from anywhere during voting hours on any internet-connected device.

Our Voter Checklist will help make sure you’re ready to vote in the 2026 Markham Municipal Election (October 16 - 26).

Frequently asked questions

What do I do if my online voting session times out before I finish voting?

After logging in, you will have 20 minutes to submit your ballot. If your session times out, your ballot will not be cast and you will need to restart the voting process.

You can log in to the system any time between voting hours until the close of voting on final voting day. Your vote will not be cast until you complete the entire ballot.

If I log in to the voting system, but I do not want to submit my ballot, can I exit the system and do it later?

Yes, you can exit your voting session before you submit your ballot, and then log back in again before the close of voting on final voting day and restart the voting process from the beginning.

Can anyone tell how I voted if they know my online voting PIN?

No. Our online voting system only tracks whether a Voting PIN has been used to submit a ballot, but does not track votes by PIN.

How can I verify that I am accessing the actual voting system and not a fake site?

When accessing our online voting portal, the letters HTTPS and a padlock icon will appear in the address bar confirming a secure connection.
If you get a message indicating that the site's digital certificate does not match the address where it connects to (or a similar message), you may be accessing a fake site. If this happens, please report it to the Elections Markham Help Desk immediately at 905.477.7000 x8683 (VOTE). 

Dos and Don'ts

Online Voting Dos and Don'ts

Do

• Do check and update your registration status. You must be registered to vote online.
• Do keep your login credentials private. Treat your online Voting PIN and shared secrets like your banking password.
• Do vote privately. Cast your ballot from a secure, personal device where no one can see how you vote. It's your right to vote for the candidates of your choice.
• Do reach out for help. Contact Elections Markham if you don't receive a VIL, need technical support, or see something suspicious.

Don't

• Don't share your login credentials or ballot. Never let someone else vote for you, and never log in for another person (even a family member). It's against the law.
• Don't try to vote more than once. Our system tracks voting attempts both online and in person, and double-voting is illegal.
• Don't use unsecured or public computers to vote. Avoid using public Wi-Fi to protect your data, and never use a candidate's device to vote.
• Don't share proof of who you voted for with anyone. Never post a photo or selfie with your ballot on social media or elsewhere.
• Don't fall for rumours. Rely on official channels like Elections Markham for election rules and facts.

 

Online voting security: how it works

 

End-to-end encryption When you vote online, your ballot is protected every step of the way. From the second you cast your ballot, your selections are "encrypted" directly on your device. This means that they are scrambled into an unreadable and tamper-proof code before being sent over the internet to the digital ballot box. They stay this way until the election ends and the results are counted, so that your vote is secret and secure the whole time.	Digital signatures Every ballot that’s cast online is signed with a "digital signature." A digital signature is used to prove that a ballot belongs to someone who’s allowed to vote, and that no one has voted more than once in the same election. As soon as you vote, your ballot is automatically signed with a digital signature that is unique to you, but doesn’t actually tell anyone who you are. It stays there until the election ends, and is removed from your ballot just before your selections are decrypted and counted. This maintains a clear chain of custody for all ballots cast in the election, while making sure that all votes are kept secret and that the election results are fair.	Cryptographic mixing Once voting closes, before any votes are decrypted and counted, your ballot is stripped of its digital signature and mixed randomly with all the other ballots cast in the election. Just like shuffling a physical ballot box, this keeps your selections secret so that no one but you will ever know how you voted.

Supported devices and browsers

Our online voting system works best with these devices and web browsers:

Device type	Device age	Browser  (latest versions)
Windows PC  (HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer)	2015 or newer	Chrome, Edge, Firefox
Apple Mac  (MacBook / iMac)	2015 or newer	Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox
Google Chromebook	2017 or newer	Chrome, Edge, Firefox
iPhone	2017 or newer  (iPhone 8 or newer)	Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox
iPad  (standard, mini, Air, Pro)	2017 or newer  (5th Gen or newer)	Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox
Android phone / tablet (Samsung, Google, Motorola, TCL)	2017 or newer	Chrome, Samsung Internet

Our online voting system may not work with older devices and some other device and browser types, such as:

• Blackberry smartphones or tablets
• Amazon Fire tablets
• Microsoft Surface tablets
• Some web browsers
  • Internet Explorer
  • Amazon Silk
  • Opera (or Opera Mini)

Still have questions about online voting?

Protect yourself and others from false and misleading information by knowing the facts. Visit our Vote with Confidence page for more information on common claims and misperceptions about online voting.