iVote - Democracy in Action | The Ismaili Canada
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iVote - Democracy in Action

The federal election process started on August 15, 2021 when the Prime Minister visited the Governor General and asked her to dissolve Parliament. The Canadian federal election will take place on Monday, September 20, 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions from Elections Canada
Do I have to register to vote?

Yes. Here's how you vote:

  • Register online 
    • By providing the number on your driver's licence (from any province or territory except Quebec), or provincial or territorial ID card (from Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan or Yukon). Or 
    • By using the Online Voter Registration Service to upload the accepted identification document(s). 
  • Register by mail (outside a general election or by-election) — Contact us to request a registration form. We'll send the form by mail, e-mail or fax. Complete the form, sign it and return it by mail, along with a copy of your proof of identity and address.

After an election is called, you can also register at your local Elections Canada office or at your polling place when you go to vote.

Am I registered to vote?

Most Canadians who are eligible to vote are already registered in the National Register of Electors. If you are registered and you checked off both Elections Canada boxes on your tax return this year, your registration will be updated with your current home address.

To check if you're registered at your current address, use the Online Voter Registration Service

If you can't check online, you can call us.

How do I update my voter information?

To update your name, address, etc. use the Online Voter Registration Service.

To change your name or make other kinds of registration updates, please contact us to request an Update form. We'll send the form by mail, e-mail or fax. Complete the form, sign it and return it by mail, along with a copy of your proof of identity and address.

 

I changed my given name(s) and informed several agencies. Will my voter information be updated automatically?

Yes. However, there are a number of reasons why Elections Canada may not have received and processed the information yet. We use several data sources to update the first and middle names of electors. Note that requests sent to any other sources are not communicated to Elections Canada. Elections Canada cannot validate and process any changes to your name or gender if some of these data sources have different information about you. 

Updating your information directly with Elections Canada ensures your first and middle name will appear correctly in your voter information. During an election, you can update your information, including changes to your name, at your assigned polling station when you go to vote. Once you make the change with Elections Canada, your voter information will be updated for future elections.

I lost my original ID document. Can I show a copy?

No. We only accept pieces of ID in the format they were originally issued. 

An exception is made for documents only issued electronically, such as e-statements or e invoices. In these cases, you can bring printouts or show them on your mobile phone.

How do I prove my identity and address when I go to vote?

If you don't have accepted ID proving your identity and address, make a solemn declaration and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to the same polling station vouch for your identity and address. Learn more about the solemn declaration.

See your options and the full list of ID accepted at the polls.

I live in Canada but will be out of my riding on election day. How do I vote?

If your residence is in Canada but you will be out of your riding on election day, you have two choices:

1) You can vote at advance polls

They are held on the 10th, 9th, 8th and 7th day before election day.

2) You can vote by special ballot

If your residence is in Canada, you can apply to vote by special ballot after the election has been called. You can apply online, by calling 1-800-463-6868 or at any Elections Canada office.

a) Vote by special ballot from within your riding

With this option, you can vote:

  • in person at your local Elections Canada office throughout most of the election period
  • by mailing your special ballot to your local Elections Canada office

To vote by special ballot, apply before 6:00 p.m. (local time) on the Tuesday before election day.

If we accept your application and proof of identity and address, we will mail you a special ballot voting kit that explains how to vote. If you apply in person at your local Elections Canada office, we will hand you the kit – you can vote right away, or vote later by mail or by returning in person to your local Elections Canada office.

Your completed ballot must be received at your local Elections Canada office before the polls close on election day in your riding. By law, we cannot accept late application forms and we cannot count late ballots.

Once you have registered to vote by special ballot, you cannot vote another way.

b) Vote by special ballot from outside your riding

This option applies to people whose residence is in Canada but who are travelling outside their riding, in Canada or abroad (e.g., snowbirds, students living away from home to attend university). 

With this option, you can vote by mail from anywhere in Canada or the world. To vote by special ballot from outside your riding:

Apply as soon as an election has been called. Allow enough time for a special ballot voting kit to reach you and for your ballot to travel back to Ottawa. 

We must receive your application and documents proving your identity and address by the Tuesday before election day:

  • in person at any Elections Canada office before 6:00 p.m. (local time), or
  • by fax or by mail sent to Elections Canada in Ottawa, before 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Once we process and accept your application, we mail you a special ballot voting kit (or hand it to you, if you apply in person at an Elections Canada office). Your kit contains instructions on how to vote. 

Your completed ballot must be received at Elections Canada in Ottawa before 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on election day. 

By law, we cannot accept late application forms or count late ballots.

Once you have registered to vote by special ballot, you cannot vote another way.

Learn more about voting by special ballot (voting by mail).

Do I have to live in the electoral district where I'm applying to work?

No, you do not have to live in the electoral district where you're applying to work. However, priority may be given to applicants who live in the electoral district.

You can apply online to work at a general election or by-election.

How does Elections Canada keep voter registrations accurate and up to date?

We keep voter registrations in a database called the National Register of Electors (the Register), which we update regularly using information from several data sources. The Register has a high level of coverage and currency. As of November 2020, 96.0% of qualified electors appear on the Register (coverage) and 92.9% of registered electors were listed at their current address (accuracy).

People who register or update their registration must affirm that the information they provide is current and correct. 

As a final check before electors can cast their ballots, they must prove their identity and address. The information on the elector's proof of identity and address must match the information on the voters list. If there is an omission or error on the voters list, the elector can request a correction.

The Ismaili

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His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for Canada

49 Wynford Drive Toronto, Ontario M3C 1K1 CANADA

Tel: +1-416-646-6965

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