Voting in Toronto is simple if you follow the rules. Read on to make sure your vote counts on election day.

WHO CAN VOTE

In order to vote in the 2014 municipal election you must be all of the following:

• A Canadian citizen;
• At least 18 years old;
• A resident of the City of Toronto (or non-resident if you or your spouse own property in Toronto;)
• Not prohibited from voting under any law.

Students who rent property in Toronto are eligible to vote provided they meet the above criteria.

WHO CANNOT VOTE

You are prohibited from voting if you are:

WHEN TO VOTE

Election day is Monday, Oct. 27th from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you can't make it to a polling station on the day, you can cast an advance vote up until Sunday, Oct. 19th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. You do not need a reason to cast an advance vote. Find your local polling station and a list of candidates using this tool.

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU

In order to cast a ballot, you must bring acceptable identification showing your name and qualifying Toronto address to the polling station. If you are not on the official voters' list (check here, you should have received a voter information card in the mail) your name will be added when you vote. If you do not bring ID, you can still vote provided you are already on the voters' list.

WHERE TO VOTE

Every address in Toronto is assigned a place to vote. Input your address in the city's MyVote tool and click "Where do I vote?" at the top of the page to find out where you will cast your ballot.

WHO TO VOTE FOR

At the polling station, you will have a chance to vote for one city councillor, one candidate for mayor, and a local school board trustee. Above is a sample ballot sheet from the City of Toronto based on Ward 32. To cast a vote, simply complete the arrow that points to the candidate of your choice. Below are some resources.

• 8 wards that will decide the 2014 Toronto election
• The top 5 issues set to define the 2014 Toronto election
• 5 things you didn't know about John Tory
• 5 things you didn't know about Olivia Chow
• New site lets you compare Toronto election candidates

FREE BEER

Someone must have figured out that free (or cheap) beer was the best possible incentive to increase voter turnout. If you live in Ward 19 you'll not only feel pride in doing your civic duty but a vote in the election will also score you tickets to a party and free beer. Really.

For information about accessibility, services in languages other than English, or to download additional resources, visit the City of Toronto's election site.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at theGentries. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Toronto photo by Ian Mationg in the theGentries Flickr pool.