• Stouffville voters cast 2,252 ballots in less than two days of advance voting, representing 5.17 percent of 43,555 eligible voters.
  • Internet voting, new this year, accounts for 1,661 of those ballots, while 591 were cast in person at advance polling places.
  • The total equals nearly one-fifth of the 12,023 ballots cast in 2022, when turnout reached a meagre 34.19 percent.
  • Ward 2 leads early participation at 10.6 percent, while Ward 1 trails at 3.19 percent.
  • Internet voting remains open until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Monday, Oct. 26, with in-person advance polls running through Saturday, Oct. 24.
  • Under the Vote Anywhere model, residents can vote at any 2026 polling place regardless of where they live.

 

Stouffville’s 2026 municipal election is off to a modest but promising start. In less than two days since internet voting launched alongside three advance polling locations on Saturday, 2,252 ballots have been cast, or 5.17 percent of the Town’s 43,555 eligible voters.

Those figures were provided by Stouffville’s Clerk just before 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Internet voting, a first for Stouffville this year, accounts for 1,661 of those ballots, with another 591 cast in person at advance polling places. While too early to measure against 2022 results, the turnout offers some perspective.

The last election saw 12,023 of 35,170 eligible voters cast a ballot, a turnout of 34.19 percent. The ballots submitted in the first weekend of this year’s election amount to nearly one-fifth of that total, or 19 percent, though Stouffville has added nearly 8,400 eligible voters to its roll over the last four years.

Participation varies across the municipality. Reflecting their strong turnout at the Ballantrae Community Centre debate on Oct. 5, Ward 2 leads with 676 ballots cast and a 10.6 percent turnout. While the eastern rural ward has doubled the Town-wide rate, Ward 1 trails at 3.19 percent.

Turnout in the remaining wards ranges from 4.07 to 5.1 percent. Wards 4 and 6 are home to the Town’s largest number of eligible voters at 10,467 and 9,807, representing nearly half of Stouffville’s entire electorate, with turnout rates of 4.07 and 4.15 percent. Coming in slightly higher are Ward 3 (4.79%) and Ward 5 (5.1%).

Election Day is still over a week away, and expanded advance voting opportunities start Monday morning. Residents have commented online on how easy internet voting is, and those ballots can be cast at any time between now and 8 p.m. on Oct. 26.

That leaves ample time and opportunity for residents to cast their ballots and best 2022’s low turnout, and Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt is encouraging greater participation that would help make that happen.

“Overall, I’m happy to see internet voting outpace in-person voting by 3-1, and seeing 10 percent turnout in Ward 2 shows me we are in for an exciting race if the numbers hold,” Lovatt said in comments to Bullet Point News. “But with only 5 percent voting in the first weekend, it shows we need to work to get out the vote!”

Registered voters received instructions for casting an online ballot by mail. In person, advance voting continues at the Municipal Offices building this week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Ballantrae Community Centre and the 55+ Club will also host advance polls on Wednesday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 24.

On Election Day, nine in-person polling places will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Under Stouffville’s Vote Anywhere model, residents can cast a ballot at any 2026 polling place regardless of where they live in the municipality, a feature designed alongside internet voting to make the process more accessible and convenient.

How Stouffville’s 2026 turnout ultimately compares to 2022 remains in the hands of those who have yet to cast a ballot. Additional details on voting dates, locations, and hours, along with election and candidate coverage, are available on the Bullet Point News and 102.9 Whistle FM Stouffville Votes 2026 website.