Check the boxes

Elections Canada - Canada Revenue Agency Consent Initiative

During tax season, Elections Canada partners with the Canada Revenue Agency to give Canadian citizens aged 18 years and older an easy way to add or update their information in the National Register of Electors. All they have to do is check “Yes” to Elections Canada’s questions on their tax form. This quick and simple step ensures that electors are registered and ready to vote in federal elections.

When federal elections are called, individuals who are registered to vote receive a voter information card in the mail. The card tells them where, when and the ways to vote.
Canadian citizens aged 14 to 17 can check “Yes” to Elections Canada’s question on their tax form to be added to the Register of Future Electors. When they turn 18, they will be added to the National Register of Electors and ready to vote in federal elections.

Voting is habit-forming: People who start voting at an early age are more likely to become lifelong voters.

Spread the word in your community

Consenting to sharing your name, address and date of birth with Elections Canada by checking “Yes” on your tax form is one of the best ways to keep the National Register of Electors up to date. It also reduces barriers to voting as electors are already registered at their current address and ready to vote.

Help us spread the word in your network: Checking the boxes on your tax form is a quick, easy and safe way to register or update your voter information!

Get the message out using email, newsletters, social media, posters, workshops (e.g. about taxes) and even informal discussions! Below, you will find various tools and messages that may help. If you have any tips or ideas about how to encourage people to check “Yes” on their tax form, please share them!

Social media

Share Elections Canada's social media messages or create your own content about the Elections Canada consent option. We will use the following social media accounts for the campaign:

Useful links and printable sheets

Web page

This page on the Elections Canada website explains what happens when you check "Yes" to be included in the National Register of Electors (for citizens aged 18 years and older) or the Register of Future Electors (for citizens aged 14 to 17).

Filing your taxes? Check the boxes.

Application forms

This sheet shows you how to inform your tax preparer that you would like them to check "Yes" to the Elections Canada questions on your behalf.

YES to the two questions from Elections Canada on my tax form

Posters

These at-a-glance posters encourage Canadian citizens to check "Yes" to Elections Canada's questions on their tax form.

Email templates

You can customize these sample emails (one for the National Register of Electors, the other for the Register of Future Electors) to share information with your community.

Sample emails for the Check "Yes" campaign

PowerPoint slides

If you're giving a presentation before the tax deadline, you can include these PowerPoint slides to share information with your audience about Elections Canada's Check "Yes" campaign.

It's tax season! Check "Yes."

To the top ↑

Key messages

Feel free to share these messages in any way that works for you and your community:

National Register of Electors

To register and vote in federal elections, you must have Canadian citizenship and be at least 18 years old.
Checking “Yes” to Elections Canada’s questions on your tax form ensures that you’re registered at your current address and ready to vote in federal elections.
When a federal election is called, you will receive a voter information card that tells you where, when and the ways to vote.
The privacy of all information in the National Register of Electors is protected by the Canada Elections Act and the Privacy Act. Elections Canada ensures that the information in the Register is kept secure and used for authorized purposes only.

Register of Future Electors

Canadian citizens aged 14 to 17 can check “Yes” on their tax form to consent to share their name, address and date of birth with Elections Canada. They will be added to the Register of Future Electors.
When they turn 18, their information will be added to the National Register of Electors, and they will be registered and ready to vote in federal elections.
Checking “Yes” on their tax form is the easiest way for Canadian citizens aged 14 to 17 to make sure that they are registered to vote in federal elections when they turn 18.
Voting is habit-forming: People who vote in the first election after they turn 18 are likely to become lifelong voters.
The privacy of all information in the Register of Future Electors is protected by the Canada Elections Act and the Privacy Act. Elections Canada ensures that the information in the Register of Future Electors is kept secure and used for authorized purposes only. Under the Canada Elections Act, the information of future electors cannot be shared with political parties, members of Parliament or candidates.

To the top ↑