Federal Elections

Three levels of government

• Federal — passes laws for the whole country (defence, foreign policy, citizenship, currency).
• Provincial / territorial — health, education, highways, natural resources.
• Municipal — local services (water, transit, snow clearing, fire, police, libraries).

Who can vote

To vote in a federal election or referendum, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen.
• Be at least 18 years old on election day.
• Be listed on the National Register of Electors (you can also register at the polling station with proof of identity and address).

The right to vote — a hard-won history

At Confederation in 1867, the vote was limited to property-owning adult white males. Over the following century the franchise was extended through long-fought campaigns to nearly every adult Canadian citizen.

1. 1867
   Vote limited to property-owning adult white males.
2. 1916
   Manitoba — first province to grant women the right to vote.
3. 1917
   Federal vote granted to nurses at the front and to women related to active military men.
4. 1918
   Most Canadian female citizens 21 and over win the federal vote, thanks to Dr. Emily Stowe and the suffragette movement.
5. 1921
   Agnes Macphail, farmer and teacher, becomes the first woman Member of Parliament.
6. 1940
   Quebec grants women the provincial vote, thanks to Thérèse Casgrain and others.
7. 1948
   Japanese-Canadians, the last group of Asian-Canadians denied the vote, gain the right to vote.
8. 1960
   Aboriginal peoples are granted the right to vote.
9. Today
   Every Canadian citizen 18 and over may vote.

How federal elections work

• Canada is divided into 338 federal electoral districts called constituencies (ridings or counties). Each elects one Member of Parliament (MP).
• Voting system: first-past-the-post — the candidate with the most votes in a riding wins, even without an absolute majority.
• The leader of the political party with the most elected MPs is usually invited by the Governor General to become Prime Minister and form the government.
• The party with the second-largest number of seats becomes the Loyal Opposition — its role is to peacefully oppose and improve the government's proposals.
• If the governing party holds more than half the seats, it forms a majority government; otherwise, a minority government.

When elections are held

By law, federal general elections must be held on the third Monday of October every four years after the previous general election. The Governor General can also call an earlier election if the government loses a confidence vote in the House of Commons. Provincial elections follow similar rules.

Political parties and the role of MPs

Political parties are groups of people who share ideas about how the government should work. They put forward candidates in each riding and try to win enough seats to form government.

• Members of Parliament represent everyone who lives in their riding — even people who didn't vote for them or who cannot vote.
• Members of provincial / territorial legislative assemblies (MLAs, MNAs, MPPs depending on the province) represent the people of their provincial constituency.
• MPs split their time between Ottawa (sitting in the House of Commons) and their constituency (meeting voters, attending events).

Running for office

Running as a candidate in a federal election is a right reserved for Canadian citizens 18 years of age or older. Non-citizens cannot run for office or vote — these privileges come with citizenship.

Step by step — voting in a federal election

Once an election is called, Elections Canada mails a Voter Information Card (VIC) to every registered voter. This card tells you when, where and how to vote.

• If you don't receive a VIC, contact Elections Canada to confirm your registration.
• Bring acceptable ID showing your name and address (e.g. driver's licence, or a piece of ID + a utility bill).
• Go to your assigned polling station — the address is on your VIC.
• Behind the cardboard voting screen, mark an X next to the name of the candidate of your choice on the ballot.
• Fold the ballot and place it in the ballot box.
• Each voter has exactly one vote per election.

If you can't vote on election day

• Advance polls — open several days before election day, normally for voters who will be away or otherwise unable to vote on the main day.
• Vote by mail — apply to Elections Canada to receive a special ballot if you cannot reach a polling station.
• Vote at any Elections Canada office during the campaign period.

Elections Canada — independent and non-partisan

Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency of Parliament that runs federal elections and referendums — totally separate from the elected government. It also maintains the National Register of Electors, the permanent list of Canadians who are qualified to vote in federal elections.

Memory aid