Last Minute Guide To Voting in Canada’s Federal Election

Today is the Canadian federal election, and soon Canada will determine who will form the next government.

Need a refresher on how the Canadian government works? We got you, read our TL;DR guide on the Canadian government. If you’re curious about which party our team is leaning toward, we also wrote about that.

To be able to vote today, you must be a) a Canadian citizen and b) 18 years old on election day.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to vote today:

Identification

Voters must also be able to prove their identity and address. Any of the following methods will work:

• A driver’s licence or any other Canadian government-issued identity document (federal, provincial/territorial or local) with your name, photo and current address.

• If you don’t have the above, you must show two pieces of identification, at least one of which must have your current address.

• If you don’t have either of the above, you must declare your identity and address in writing and have a witness with you who can confirm. Your witness must prove their identity and address with a government-issued ID. Each person can vouch for only one person.

Voter information card

To find your polling station, check your voter information card.

Your voter information card will tell you where and when to vote, the accessibility of your assigned polling station, how to request assistance in advance and the address of the closest Elections Canada office where voting by special ballot takes place.

Elections Canada recommends bringing your voter information card, along with a form of accepted ID, to make the voting process easier. While a voter information card is not required to vote, individuals must be registered.

If you haven’t registered in advance, no biggie! You can register to vote at your assigned polling station on election day.

Voter information service

The voter information service provides you with important information about your electoral district, including a map, a list of candidates and results from past elections.

It can also be used to find the list of candidates running in your district, the location of your polling places on election day and the address of your local Elections Canada office.

If you haven’t registered to vote, you can register at your assigned polling station.

WHEN SHOULD YOU VOTE on election day?

According to Elections Canada, the best time to vote on election day is between 10 AM and 4 PM.

Polls are busiest early in the morning and after 4 PM when everyone gets off work.

Friendly reminder that by law, everyone who is eligible to vote must have three consecutive hours to cast their vote on election day.

If your hours of work do not allow for three consecutive hours, your employer must give you time off to go vote.

More information about voting in the federal election can be found on the Elections Canada’s website.