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Turned 18? It's your turn to have your say

Make sure you're registered to vote at your current address

To vote in a federal election, you must first be registered. You can register online, by mail, or at the polls when you go to vote.

To register and vote in the federal election, you must:

be a Canadian citizen
be at least 18 years old on election day
prove your identity and address

Registering in advance has its advantages!

It will ensure that, when an election is called, you receive a personalized voter information card that tells you where, when and the ways to vote.

It will save you time when you go to vote!

Now it's your turn to vote and make a difference

It's important that you actively participate in democracy and that you have your say on the issues that are important to you and affect your future. In this fast-moving environment, every voice counts. Start by taking the first step: being registered to vote.

The participation of voters aged 18–24 decreased between the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. In 2021, participation dropped to 46.7% from the previous 52.8%–which was already lower than the highest participation on record (for the 2015 federal election), that is, 57.1%.

Figure 1: Voter Turnout by Age Group, 2021 General Election

Figure 1: Voter Turnout by Age Group, 2021 General Election
Age Group	Turnout
1st time	44.7%
not 1st time	47.4%
18–24	46.7%
25–34	52.8%
35–44	59.0%
45–54	63.8%
55–64	68.3%
65–74	74.9%
75+	65.9%

Elections Canada is taking steps to make voting easier for young people:

offering education programs for elementary and high school students
doing outreach to campuses and youth organizations
providing information and resources to reduce barriers faced by youth and students; making Vote on Campus services available to students
commissioning studies to better understand why some young people don't vote, and identify ways to further reduce barriers to participation

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Want to do more?

Learn more or give feedback to Elections Canada:

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Figure 2: Official Turnout Rates in Canadian General Elections, 1949 to 2021
(Official turnout in Canada is based on the count of individuals on the final list of electors)

Figure 2: Official Turnout Rates in Canadian General Elections, 1949 to 2021
Polling day	Registered electors	Voters	Official turnout
27 June 1949	7,893,629	5,903,572	73.8%
10 August 1953	8,401,691	5,701,963	67.5%
10 June 1957	8,902,125	6,680,690	74.1%
31 March 1958	9,131,200	7,357,139	79.4%
18 June 1962	9,700,325	7,772,656	79.0%
8 April 1963	9,910,757	7,958,636	79.2%
8 November 1965	10,274,904	7,796,728	74.8%
25 June 1968	10,860,888	8,217,916	75.7%
30 October 1972	13,000,778	9,974,661	76.7%
8 July 1974	13,620,353	9,671,002	71.0%
22 May 1979	15,233,653	11,541,000	75.7%
18 February 1980	15,890,416	11,015,514	69.3%
4 September 1984	16,774,941	12,638,424	75.3%
21 November 1988	17,639,001	13,281,191	75.3%
25 October 1993	19,906,796	13,863,135	69.6%
2 June 1997	19,663,478	13,174,698	67.0%
27 November 2000	21,243,473	12,997,185	64.1%
28 June 2004	22,466,621	13,683,570	60.9%
23 January 2006	23,054,615	14,908,703	64.7%
14 October 2008	23,677,639	13,929,093	58.8%
2 May 2011	24,257,592	14,823,408	61.1%
19 October 2015	25,939,742	17,711,983	68.3%
21 October 2019	27,373,058	18,350,359	67.0%
20 September 2021	27,509,496	17,209,811	62.6%

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