Civic guide

How to vote.

Step-by-step for federal, provincial, and municipal elections in Canada — eligibility, registration, ID, and where to actually go on voting day.

Can you vote?

You can vote in a Canadian federal election if you are:

A Canadian citizen,
At least 18 years old on election day, and
Able to prove your identity and address.

Provincial and territorial elections use almost the same rules, with slightly different ID requirements. Municipal elections are run by the city or town — rules vary, but Canadian citizenship and age 18+ almost always apply.

Get on the voters' list

Elections Canada maintains the National Register of Electors — a permanent voter list. You can register, update your address, or check that you're on the list at any time:

You can also register in person at your polling place on election day — bring acceptable ID. The online registration just saves time.

Find your assigned polling place

Your polling place is assigned based on your address. Elections Canada has a postal-code lookup tool:

Find your polling place

For provincial elections, use your provincial elections agency's lookup (linked below). Municipal elections — check your city's elections office.

What ID to bring

You need to prove two things: who you are, and where you live. Three accepted ways:

One piece of government-issued photo ID with your current address (e.g. driver's licence, provincial ID card).
Two pieces of ID, both showing your name and at least one showing your current address. The Elections Canada list of accepted ID is long — student card + utility bill, lease + credit-card statement, etc. all count.
An eligible voter can vouch for you if you have no ID. They must know you, live in the same polling division, and bring their own ID.

Full accepted-ID list at Elections Canada

When can you vote

You have more options than just election day:

Advance polls — four days, the second weekend before the election. Usually open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Election day — your assigned polling place is open 12 hours. Hours stagger across the country so the polls close at roughly the same time everywhere.
Vote by mail — apply for a special ballot from Elections Canada. You'll receive a ballot in the mail with instructions. Has to be received back at Elections Canada by 6 p.m. Eastern on election day.
Vote at any Elections Canada office — open during the entire campaign period, weekdays plus weekend hours. You can vote there even if you're outside your riding.
Vote on campus — Vote on Campus is run in many post-secondary institutions during advance polls. Anyone can vote there, but it's easiest for students living away from their registered address.

Provincial and territorial elections

Each province and territory runs its own elections agency. Voter registration and polling-place lookups for these elections happen on the provincial agency's site:

Municipal elections

Cities and towns run their own elections. The clerk's office or elections-services page on your municipality's website has voter registration, polling lookups, and ID rules. Some cities use a permanent municipal voters' list; others rebuild it for each election.

What this page is not

We point you to Elections Canada and the provincial agencies because they're the authoritative sources. Branch is not the official elections agency for any level of government. If anything here conflicts with the agency's own guidance, follow the agency.

Can you vote?

You can vote in a Canadian federal election if you are:

A Canadian citizen,

At least 18 years old on election day, and

Able to prove your identity and address.

Get on the voters' list

Elections Canada maintains the National Register of Electors — a permanent voter list. You can register, update your address, or check that you're on the list at any time:

You can also register in person at your polling place on election day — bring acceptable ID. The online registration just saves time.

What ID to bring

You need to prove two things: who you are, and where you live. Three accepted ways:

One piece of government-issued photo ID with your current address (e.g. driver's licence, provincial ID card).

Two pieces of ID, both showing your name and at least one showing your current address. The Elections Canada list of accepted ID is long — student card + utility bill, lease + credit-card statement, etc. all count.

An eligible voter can vouch for you if you have no ID. They must know you, live in the same polling division, and bring their own ID.

Full accepted-ID list at Elections Canada

When can you vote

You have more options than just election day:

Advance polls — four days, the second weekend before the election. Usually open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Election day — your assigned polling place is open 12 hours. Hours stagger across the country so the polls close at roughly the same time everywhere.

Vote by mail — apply for a special ballot from Elections Canada. You'll receive a ballot in the mail with instructions. Has to be received back at Elections Canada by 6 p.m. Eastern on election day.

Vote at any Elections Canada office — open during the entire campaign period, weekdays plus weekend hours. You can vote there even if you're outside your riding.

Vote on campus — Vote on Campus is run in many post-secondary institutions during advance polls. Anyone can vote there, but it's easiest for students living away from their registered address.