Will you need any assistance at the polls?
If you have a disability and need help, or are helping someone else, choose the voting option that will best meet your, or the voter's, needs.
With a little planning, you can make sure that voting is as easy and accessible as possible. Keep in mind that you may need to make arrangements for some services before voting.
Once an election is called, here are some ways you can make sure that your assigned polling station meets your accessibility needs:
If your assigned polling station doesn't meet your accessibility needs, or if you live in a community where there's no polling station within a reasonable distance from your home, call Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868 or 1-800-361-8935 (TTY). We'll help you find another polling station or discuss other ways to vote. Call as early as possible so there's enough time to make arrangements.
The deadline to call Elections Canada about accessibility needs is the Tuesday before election day, 6 p.m. (Eastern time).
Elections Canada offers many tools and services to make voting in a federal election easier. You can call Elections Canada or visit any Elections Canada office to find out in advance what accessibility tools and services will be available to you when you go to vote.
Voting assistance tools and services available on election day include:
You're also welcome to bring help when you vote. For example, a friend or family member, your service animal or an assistive device, such as a mobile device or smartphone.
To request voting assistance in advance, including language and sign language interpretation, call the Elections Canada office in your riding by the Tuesday before election day, 6 p.m. You can find the number:
In some ridings, election workers take mobile polls to certain facilities (such as long-term care institutions or seniors' residences) at scheduled times so that electors who live there can vote.
This service isn't available in all facilities. To learn more about the services offered at facilities in your riding, call your local Elections Canada office or call Elections Canada headquarters at 1-800-463-6868 or 1-800-361-8935 (TTY).
Voting in hospitals where people stay for a short time is different, since the electors receiving care in these facilities don't live there. Elections Canada has procedures to allow these electors to register and vote by special ballot while they're in the hospital.
Electors who are unable to read, unable to vote by special ballot or unable to go to a voting location because of a disability can request to vote at home.
Electors who request to vote at home must meet the criteria outlined in the Canada Elections Act. You must consider all other voting options first before you request to vote at home.
If you or a family member needs this service, you must request it from the local Elections Canada office by the Tuesday before election day, 6 p.m.
If your request is approved, an election worker will come to your home and help you vote.
You can find all the official information you need to vote at elections.ca. The website is fully accessible and has information in multiple languages. You can also order products in many other formats, including large print, braille and audio.
While most electors can vote using one of the options listed above, some cannot. Elections Canada has special services for the following groups:
If you require service in a language other than English or French:
Call your local Elections Canada office ahead of time to request language interpretation at your assigned polling station on election day.