You’ve probably been hearing a lot about the upcoming federal election (and if you haven’t, you’ve seen the lawn signs). If you’re a recently of-age voter like me, you might not have gotten to vote in the last federal election. Maybe you’ve never voted at all, and that’s okay! There is no time better than the present to start. Here’s a quick and easy guide to voting in this year’s federal election.
The quick and dirty basics
The election will be held on October 21, 2019, with advanced voting from October 11-14, 2019.
To vote, you need to meet these criteria:
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Be at least 18 years old on election day
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Be a Canadian citizen
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Prove your identity and address.
Why should I vote?
There are a million reasons as to why you should vote, but the main one is that it’s one of the most powerful rights that you have as a Canadian. The more people actually vote, the more effective our democracy, no matter who you vote for.
You should vote for the things that will make life better for you and for your community. You can check out some party websites and read up on what they’re promising in their campaigns.
The major parties you’ve probably been hearing about are Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP), the Liberal Party of Canada, the Green Party of Canada, and the Conservative Party of Canada. Through their websites, you’ll be able to find their candidate in your riding.
What is my riding?
It can be confusing to figure out what riding you live in and voting, and who you can vote for. Have no fear! You can check right now by going to the Elections Canada homepage and typing in your postal code. From there, you can also find out where the closest Elections Canada office is to you, the ID you need to vote, and the different ways you can vote. Voter cards will be mailed out sometime around October 3rd, and they’ll have all the information you need to vote.
How do I register?
Voter registration is open until October 15th, and there are a couple of ways to do it. The easiest is to go to this webpage and fill out the online forms. If you’re already registered, you can use this service to double-check your registration information and update your address.
If you prefer to do things in person, you can go to any Elections Canada office before October 15th and register there. Miss the deadline? That’s okay. It’s your democratic right to vote, therefore you can register at the voting station on the day of during advanced voting or on election day.
Check out this handy FAQ if you’re having trouble registering!
What if I live away from home?
You have choices! You can vote wherever you consider your home to be. If you consider your campus residence home, you can register there. If you’d prefer to vote in your hometown, register there! The only thing to remember is that you’ll need to provide a proof of address along with your ID when you vote.
If that address is on your driver’s license or any other government-issued card, you’re good to go!
If not, you can either bring two pieces of ID with your full name on them, one with your address; or you can declare your name and address in writing, as well as have someone you know that’s assigned to your polling station to vouch for you.
Find all acceptable forms of ID here.
Okay, so how do I actually vote?
Once you’ve registered, you can vote anytime! There are four ways to vote. You can go to any Elections Canada office and vote any day before October 15th. Some schools even have offices that you can vote at (but not many. Check out this list to find out!) Bring your ID, fill out your special ballot, and you’re done! This is a great option if you tend to procrastinate or you know you won’t be able to on any of the advanced voting days and election day.
If you live away from home, but you want to vote in that riding, you can vote by mail. Go to this webpage or your nearest Elections Canada office to apply, and do it soon! You have until October 15th to apply, but it’s better to do it sooner than later.
If you do live in your riding, you can do advanced voting from October 11-14, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. or you can vote on Election Day. Your voter card will tell you when and where you need to go to vote. Bring your card with you! You can also find the information you need through the Voter Information Service after October 2nd.
What should I expect when I get to my station?
Expect to wait in a line, so make sure you make time for this. If you don’t think you’ll have time to vote on Election Day, try and make it to advanced polling, or vote now at your local Elections Canada office!
Have your ID ready to go and if you’re unsure about anything, ask questions! The people staffing the polling station are there to help you out. Sometimes they even have stickers for first-time voters (I got one for voting in BCs last provincial election, I was so stoked!)
It’s nothing to get stressed about, but there are a few rules you’ll have to follow. The main ones are:
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No photographs, recordings, or videos. If you do anything that violates the privacy of other voters
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This includes pictures of your ballot. There are some exceptions to this, so check out the polling FAQ here
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Be respectful! We’re all there to exercise our democratic right to vote, and by the time you’re in line to do it, nobody’s mind is getting changed
And that’s pretty much all you need to vote. If you have more questions, the Elections Canada FAQ pages are a fantastic resource. You can also comment below if you have any questions, or if you have any advice for first-time voters. Happy Election Season, everyone!