How to vote: Canada’s federal election

By News Staff

Here’s everything you need to know about voting in the federal election:

Who am I voting for?

You will be voting for a member of parliament who is a member of a specific party. To find who is running in your riding, click here.

Who can vote?

In order to vote in this year’s federal election, you need to:

  • be a Canadian citizen;
  • be at least 18 years old on election day, Oct. 21;
  • prove your identity and address.

You can check if you are registered to vote here.

What do I need to vote?

In order to vote in the federal election, you need to prove your identity and address. The government requires you to do this in one of three ways:

  1. Bring one piece of ID
    • Your driver’s license
    • Any other card issued by a Canadian government (federal, provincial or municipal) that contains your name, address and photo.
  2. Show two pieces of ID
    • Both must have your name and at least one must have your current address. EX. voter information card and bank card or utility bill and student ID card
    • A full list of accepted IDs can be found here.
  3. If you don’t have ID
    • According to the Elections Canada website, you can still vote without ID if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address.

When and where can I vote?

There are several ways to vote in the federal election aside from voting on election day at your polling location. Here is a full list of the ways when and where you can vote:

  1. Vote in your polling location on election day, Oct. 21, 2019. The polling location will be printed on your voter information card that you receive in the mail.
  2. Vote at your advance poll location on Oct. 11, 12, 13 and 14. The location will also be printed on your voter information card.
  3. You can vote now in person at any Elections Canada office until Oct 15 with a special ballot
  4. You can vote by mail as long as you apply no later than 6 p.m. ET on Oct. 15.

More Frequently Asked Questions

Can you take a selfie with your ballot?

NO. While you might want to share participating in your civic duty on social media, it is illegal to post a photo of our ballot because it “violates the secrecy of the vote under the Canada Elections Act.”

This story will be updated with more information as election day approaches.

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