Being registered to vote means that Elections Canada has your information in the National Register of Electors, a database of Canadians who are eligible to vote in federal elections.
To register and vote in a federal election, you must:
Your place of residence or home address is the place where you normally live, or the place you call home. The address that you are registered at determines your riding and your assigned polling station.
If you leave your home temporarily (for school, work or any other reason) but plan to move back, you can still use your home address as your place of residence.
Find out more about the requirements to prove your identity and address here.
Elections Canada takes many steps to keep voter registration information for millions of Canadians accurate and to safeguard the integrity of this information.
Elections Canada manages two other voter registration databases:
You can register to vote or update your voter information even before an election is called. If you do, you'll be on the list of electors and get important information about voting. If you decide to vote, being registered before makes the voting process easier.
Check "Yes" to both questions related to Elections Canada on your federal tax return.
If you're eligible to vote and not already in the National Register of Electors, Elections Canada will accept this as your request to be added. Visit Elections Canada's website for more information about this option.
Contact Elections Canada directly
You can ask Elections Canada to send you a voter registration form by mail, email or fax. Once you've filled it out, return the form along with copies of accepted ID to prove your identity and address.
Use the secure Online Voter Registration Service
Elections Canada's Online Voter Registration Service will ask you to answer four questions about your eligibility to vote. It will also ask you to enter your:
To register, you will need to prove your identity and address. You will be asked for the number on your:
If you don't have one of these pieces of ID, you can visit the Document Submission page of the Online Voter Registration Service to provide another form of ID.
To find out which ID you can use, see the list of accepted ID.
To update your address, start by entering your previous address to check if you're registered. Once you have confirmed your registration, click the link under "Need to update your address?" and enter your new address.
If your name has changed or you need to make other kinds of registration updates, contact Elections Canada to request an Update form. It will be sent by mail, email or fax. Complete the form, sign it and return it by mail, along with a copy of your proof of identity and address.
To vote in a federal election, you must be registered. After a federal election is called, you can register either before or when you go to vote.
You can also update your voter information (such as your address or name) during an election.
Through the Online Voter Registration Service
For your information to be updated on the list of electors in time for election day, you must register by the Tuesday before election day, 6 p.m.
At your local Elections Canada office
After an election is called, Elections Canada opens a local office in every riding across the country.
You can register or update your information at any Elections Canada office by the Tuesday before election day, 6 p.m. Make sure you bring accepted ID to prove your identity and address. You can choose to vote by special ballot at the same time.
Find your local office by using the Voter Information Service at elections.ca or calling 1-800-463-6868 or 1-800-361-8935 (TTY).
When you vote by special ballot, your ballot won't show a list of candidates to choose from. Instead, there is a blank space on the ballot for you to write the name of the candidate you're voting for.
Once you've filled out your ballot, you place it in the unmarked inner envelope provided and seal it. Next, you place the unmarked inner envelope in the outer envelope showing your information and seal it. Lastly, you sign and date the declaration on the front of the outer envelope. Once you are done, you drop the envelope in a ballot box.
I vote for / Je vote pour
Names (or initials) and surname of candidate of your choice Prénoms (ou initiales) et nom de famille du candidat de votre choix
At your assigned polling station on advance polling days or on election day
If you're registered, you should receive a voter information card in the mail. It tells you where and when you can vote. If you don't receive a voter information card, or if the information on it is incorrect, you may not be registered or your registration may not be up to date.
At any local Elections Canada office
When you go to vote at a local Elections Canada office, you'll be asked to complete an Application for Registration and Special Ballot with an election worker. You must show proof of your identity and address.
You have until the Tuesday before election day, 6 p.m. to submit this application.
Once you've done so, you will receive a special ballot voting kit. You can use it to vote while you're there or take it with you and bring it back to the same Elections Canada office when you're ready to vote.
If you're going to bring it back, remember that you must return your completed ballot by the election day deadline.
When you apply to vote by mail
When you vote by mail, you vote using a special ballot.
You can ask for an application to vote by mail, which is called the Application for Registration and Special Ballot. Once Elections Canada receives your form, we will add or update your information on the list of electors. Here are the ways you can get an application:
Once you apply to vote by mail or at an Elections Canada office, you can't change your mind and vote at advance polls or on election day.