The Braille Ballot: A New Way to Vote for Torontonians with Disabilities
By Catherine Dumé
On September 22, 2026, Toronto Elections held a local media press conference at its office in North York. The City Clerk, John Elvidge, was present. Both he and the Deputy Clerk of Toronto Elections, Tobias Novogrodsky, offered speeches about the upcoming mayoral election in October. They also promoted the launch of their new initiative “Kids Vote Weekend,” which is happening on October 10 and 11, to encourage kids under 18 to learn more about the voting process.
But the one thing that stood out to me was their new Braille ballot, which can be requested by mail.
As a researcher whose specialty is accessible elections and disabled political participation, I was intrigued to learn about this new accessible method to vote.
In a conversation with retired lawyer and accessibility advocate David Lepofsky, he explained to me why he was suing Elections Ontario. The issue was that the special mail ballot option did not offer Braille. This would have compromised the secrecy of the vote, as he would have had to rely on his wife to assist him in the voting process. Normally, Lepofsky (and any other voter with blindness) would have voted in person, as each polling station offers alternative formats to the paper ballot. But during the last provincial election, he was not able to vote in-person due to his wife being immunocompromised at the time. Thus, being in public would have put her at risk.
So, it was quite exciting to see and feel the Braille ballot for the first time at the Toronto Election’s office.
If you are in Toronto and are planning to vote, you now have the option to request a Braille ballot by mail!
Starting September 1st, voters can request a Braille Voting Package by mail, online, or by phone. All packages will be delivered by Canada Post. Inside the package, voters can expect the following, according to Toronto Elections website:
A declaration/instruction form in braille to be signed and returned.
A braille overlay template for marking your official ballot.
An official ballot.
An official candidate list in braille and print that matches your official ballot and overlay template.
A ballot secrecy envelope with a braille embossed identifying label.
A yellow return envelope with pre-paid postage and braille embossed identifying label.
Did you know the Alliance of Equality for Blind Canadians (AEBC) has a non-partisan guide to help members make informed decisions with confidence when they vote? It has gathered a plethora of electoral information, including how to find accessibility support within your riding.
Download our guide to elections, Your Voice at the Polls.
