Q. Can I vote in the election?
To 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
Q. Where do I vote?
You can vote at several places in person or by mail from wherever you are.
. In person
- At any Elections Canada office before 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14
- In your riding at your assigned advance polling station from Friday, September 10 to Monday, September 13, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- In your riding at your assigned polling station on election day, Monday, September 20
. By mail
If you are part of a vulnerable population or if you will be away from your riding during advance and election day polls, you can vote by mail.
Voting by mail is also available to Canadians living abroad.
Deadlines apply. To get your voting kit, apply to vote by mail before 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14. Make sure we receive your marked ballot by election day, Monday, September 20.
Check the instructions in your voting kit for details.
Once you've applied to vote by mail, you can't change your mind and vote at advance polls or on election day.
Q. Can I vote before election day?
Yes, there are several ways to vote before election day.
1. At advance polls
Vote at your assigned advance polling station in your riding Friday, September 10 to Monday, September 13, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. To find your assigned polling station, check your voter information card or use the Voter Information Service.
2. By mail
To get your voting kit, apply to vote by mail before 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14. Make sure we receive your marked ballot by election day. Check the instructions in your voting kit for details.
3. At any Elections Canada office across Canada
We have over 500 offices open seven days a week leading up to the election. Vote at any one of them before 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14. Find the Elections Canada office nearest to you.
Q. I'm a member of the Canadian Forces. How do I vote?
If you are a member of the Canadian Forces, you may vote using any of the methods available to all other Canadian electors.
You may vote at the assigned civilian polling station associated with your place of residence, either on an advance polling day or election day. Your voter information card tells you where and when you can vote. You will need to show proof of identity and address.
You may also vote by special ballot at a military polling station set up at a Canadian Forces base or unit.
Q. I'm serving a prison sentence in Canada. Can I vote?
Yes. As long as you're a Canadian citizen and will be at least 18 years old on election day, you can vote in your correctional institution. A staff member in your institution will be available to help you register and vote using the special ballot process.
Voting in correctional institutions takes place on Wednesday, September 8.
Q. Can I take a selfie with my marked ballot?
No. Taking a picture of a marked ballot—yours or anyone else's—is illegal because it violates the secrecy of the vote under the Canada Elections Act. It's also a violation of the Act to publish a photo of a marked ballot in any way, including on social media.
Q. I'm a Canadian citizen living abroad. How do I vote?
You will need to vote by mail. Make sure to apply to vote by mail before 6:00 p.m., Eastern time, on Tuesday, September 14 , and to return your marked ballot to us by 6:00 p.m., Eastern time, on election day, Monday, September 20.
Q. I'm homeless. How do I vote?
Eligible electors who are homeless or have no fixed address are welcome to register and vote.
Everyone who votes must prove their identity and address. Click here for the list of accepted documents that you can use to prove your identity and address.
Here are some of the ways you can prove your identity and address when you go to vote:
. To prove your identity, you can show a piece of ID with your name on it, like a birth certificate or health card.
. To prove your address, you can show an official letter called a Letter of Confirmation of Residence.
. If you have gone to an establishment that offers food, housing or other social services, you can ask the administrator of the establishment for this letter.
Some examples include:
. letter of confirmation of residence from a First Nations band or reserve or an Inuit local authority letter of confirmation of residence,
. letter of stay, admission form, or statement of benefits from one of the following designated establishments:
- student residence
- seniors' residence
- long-term care facility
- shelter
- soup kitchen
- a community-based residential facility
. You can also declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. The person vouching for you must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person, except in retirement or long-term care facilities.
You can use our Voter Information Service to find your polling station. Go to our home page, and in the "My voter information" box, enter the postal code that appears on your Letter of Confirmation of Residence. You can also call Elections Canada, toll-free, at 1-800-463-6868 to find where your polling station is.
Q. I live in a retirement or long-term care facility. How can I vote?
Elections Canada is working with retirement and long-term care facilities to offer voting options that comply with the health and safety protocols in place. Historically, eligible electors who lived in a retirement or long-term care facility were able to vote at a mobile polling station in their facility, but this option may not be possible at all facilities because of COVID-19 restrictions. Alternative voting options, such as voting by mail or single-day advance voting, may be used at facilities where traditional mobile polling is not possible.
Please contact your facility administrator or your local Elections Canada office to find out about voting options offered in your facility.
Q. I live in a retirement or long-term care facility. How can I prove my identity and address?
Everyone who votes must prove their identity and address.
Here are some ways to prove your identity and address:
- To prove your identity (name), you can show a piece of ID with your name on it, like a health card or birth certificate.
- If you live in a retirement or long-term care facility, you can show photocopies of your proof of identity and address documents.
- To prove your address, one option is to show a Letter of Confirmation of Residence. This is an official letter from a retirement or long-term care facility that says "this person lives here." You can request this letter from the facility administrator. You can also use the yellow carbon copy of the Application for Revision or Registration on the List of Electors if one was completed by an election officer.
- You can have someone who knows you vouch for your identity and address. The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. The voucher may be an employee of your residence. The employee may vouch for more than one elector and must reside in the same electoral district or adjacent electoral district as the person being vouched for.
For more information, please contact Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868.
Q. I am temporarily hospitalized in an acute care facility. How can I vote?
At hospitals where health and safety policies allow election officers to be on site, electors who are hospitalized during the election period will be able to register and vote by special ballot from their hospital room. Patients will be advised in advance when special ballot voting will take place. An election officer will visit patients either by going room to room or by appointment and help them fill out their application. They can also help the patient cast their ballot, if needed. Learn more about voting by special ballot.
At hospitals where health and safety policies prohibit the entry of election officers, electors will be able to vote by special ballot, either through a coordinated special ballot process facilitated by hospital staff or independently using the vote-by-mail process.
In either case, all electors who are temporarily hospitalized will receive a notice from Elections Canada confirming the voting options in place at the hospital where they are receiving care.
Q. How does Elections Canada accommodate electors who cannot vote using traditional voting options?
Additional service points are set up in locations where electors are not able to vote using traditional voting options. This includes electors working in isolated areas, such as mining and oil field camps or lighthouses, and electors who find themselves in exceptional circumstances, following, for example, a severe weather event during an election. For more information on this option, please contact your Elections Canada office.
Q. At the last general election in my province, I was able to vote at any advance voting location. Can I vote at any advance polling station at the federal election?
The rules for voting on advance polling days in the federal election differ from those of some provincial elections, where you can vote at any advance voting place in the province. You cannot do the same in the federal election. If you choose to vote during advance polling days, you must vote at your assigned polling station. To find your advance polling station, check your voter information card or use the Voter Information Service.
Q. At the last provincial election in British Columbia, I was able to vote at any polling station on election day. Can I vote at any polling station on election day at the federal election?
No. The rules for voting on election day in the federal election differ from those in a British Columbia provincial election. You cannot vote at any polling station in the province in the federal election. If you choose to vote on election day, you must vote at your assigned polling station.
Elections Canada
