Students can vote in Windsor and at home: what to know

Studying in Windsor, but home is somewhere else? Ontario election law lets students vote in both municipalities. Here, bring ID with your name and local address; a campus residence document or transcript counts. Advance voting is on now at WFCU Centre.

Topics: Election 2026

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Many students live in Windsor while attending the University of Windsor and St. Clair College, and many have a permanent home in another Ontario municipality. The City of Windsor's voter information page explains how the Municipal Elections Act treats them.

The two-municipality rule

A person may have residences, and vote, in two local municipalities at the same time, in the same election, if they live in one of them to attend an educational institution without intending to change their permanent lodging place, and their permanent lodging place is in the other.

To vote in Windsor, a person must also be eligible on Voting Day: a Canadian citizen, 18 or older, a resident or the owner or tenant of land in Windsor (or the spouse of an owner or tenant), and not prohibited from voting by law.

What to bring

Voters must prove their identity and residential address. The City's list of accepted documents, set by Ontario Regulation 304/13, includes a document showing campus residence issued by the post-secondary school's residence office, and a transcript or report card from a post-secondary school. Bank statements, utility bills, leases and a pay stub are also on the list. A voter notification card is not required.

When

Advance voting runs Oct. 9 and 10 at the WFCU Centre (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Oct. 14 at Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex, Oct. 15 at All Saints' Anglican Church, Oct. 17 at Mic Mac Park (drive-thru) and Oct. 19 at Most Precious Blood Parish. Any eligible Windsor voter can use any advance day. Voting Day is Monday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at any location in your ward.

A student's home municipality runs its own election, with its own dates and methods; some in Essex County vote online. Windsor questions go to 311, or the Clerk's office at 519-255-6100 ext. 6285 or clerkselections@citywindsor.ca.