The 2015 Canadian federal election will be held on October 19, 2015 to elect members to the house of Commons of Canada.
What are elections all about?
When a federal election is called, you vote to elect a member of Parliament to represent you in the House of Commons, where he or she will debate and pass laws on your behalf.
Canada is divided into 338 ridings. During an election, one member of Parliament is elected to represent the people of that riding. Each member of Parliament has a seat in the House of Commons.
Candidates can represent a political party, or can be independent, meaning they have no association with a political party. After all the votes are counted for each riding, the political party with the most seats in the House of Commons usually forms the government. The leader of that party becomes the prime minister of Canada.
Can I vote?
You can vote if:
- you are a Canadian citizen
- you are at least 18 years old on election day
- you can prove your identity and address
Am I registered to vote?
Make sure you’re registered
If you have moved, recently become a Canadian citizen, will be voting for the first time or are a student living away from home, you may not be correctly registered.
Check, update or complete your registration now. It’s easy and will save you time when you go to vote.
Need help? Call us at 1-800-463-6868.
Vote on election day
Your polling place will be open for 12 hours.
To find out when and where to vote once the election is called:
- check your voter information card sent to you by mail
- go to the Voter Information Service and type your postal code
- call us at 1-800-463-6868
What ID should I take with me?
To vote, you need to prove your identity and address:
Show one piece of government-issued ID with your photo, name and address. For example, your driver’s licence.OR
Show two pieces of ID. Both pieces must have your name, and one must also have your address. For example, your health card plus a utility bill. See the full list of ID here.
OR
Take an oath. Show two pieces of ID with your name and have someone who knows you attest to your address. This person must show proof of identity and address, and be registered in the same polling division. This person can attest for only one person.
We accept ID cards and documents issued in their original formats. For documents issued electronically (such as e-statements or e-invoices), we accept printouts or you may show them on a mobile device.
