Why
should I vote?
Your vote is the
way you choose someone to represent you in Canada's Parliament. By
expressing your choice, you are exercising a democratic right that
is key to the process of government that generations of Canadians
have fought to build. For more information, see A
History of the Vote in Canada.
Am
I registered to vote?
The vast majority
of electors are registered in the National
Register of Electors, which is used to produce the preliminary
voters lists for federal elections, by-elections and referendums.
If you voted in the last general election, you may be registered to
vote at the address where you lived at that time. Elections Canada
updates the Register from a number of sources, so if you have moved
since then, your address
change may also have been registered.
If this is my first election, am
I registered to vote?
Each year, the
Chief Electoral Officer writes to individuals who turn 18 to ask them
to confirm that they are eligible to vote and that they consent to
being included in the National Register of Electors.
Elections Canada
identifies new 18-year-olds through information transmitted for the
Register by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, registrars of motor
vehicles, and electoral data obtained from provincial and territorial
organizations responsible for lists of electors.
After you turned
18, you may have received a letter from the Chief Electoral Officer,
asking you:
- to confirm
your Canadian citizenship
- whether you
consent to being added to the Register
- to provide
your signature
- to make any
necessary corrections or deletions to your personal information
If you provided
the information requested, you should be registered to vote, and you
will receive a voter information card in the mail shortly after an
election is called. If you do not receive a voter information card,
or the information on it is incorrect, please get in touch with your
returning officer right away to ensure you are registered to vote.
If not, how do I register to vote?
Simply contact
Elections Canada at
1 800 463-6868
toll-free in Canada and the United States
001 800 514-6868
toll-free in Mexico
(613) 993-2975
from anywhere in the world
For people
who are deaf or hard of hearing:
TTY 1 800 361-8935
toll-free in Canada and the United States
Where
can I view the list of MPs?
The list of elected
candidates can be found on the Parliamentary
Web site.
Who
is my member of Parliament?
For more information
about your member of Parliament, please use one of the following searches
available on the Parliamentary Web site. You can search for your member
of Parliament by:
If you do not
know the name of your federal riding/electoral district, follow
this link.
Who are the party leaders in the House of Commons?
You can find out
who the leaders
of the registered parties are and what
parties are currently in the House of Commons.
Who is the minister for… ?
The names of the
current
Cabinet ministers can be found on the parliamentary Web site.
What is a registered party?
Since 1974, political
parties have had the option of registering with the Chief Electoral
Officer. Registration offers political parties status under the Canada
Elections Act and brings with it certain obligations and benefits.
Follow
this link for more information about this subject.
Which political parties are registered?
Follow
this link for a complete list of registered parties, their leaders
and their national headquarters addresses.
Who should I vote for?
This is an individual
choice. No one can tell you whom to vote for. However, there is a
wealth of information
on this site, in newspapers and on the various party Web sites
to help you make an informed decision.
When is the next election?
A
general election is now underway. Election day is June 28,
2004. Follow
this link for more information.
General
election
The
date of a general election is set by the Governor in Council. According
to section 4(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
"no House of Commons and no legislative assembly shall continue
for longer than five years from the date fixed for the return of the
writs of a general election of its members."
For
the June 28, 2004, general election, the return of the writs has been
set for July 19, 2004. The next general election will be held
within five years following this date, at the time set by the Governor
in Council.
By-elections
When a seat in
the House of Commons becomes officially vacant, the Speaker of the
House must inform the Chief Electoral Officer immediately. Between
the 11th and the 180th day after receiving notification, the Chief
Electoral Officer issues a writ to the returning officer of the electoral
district concerned, directing him or her to hold a by-election. The
date on the writ is determined by the Governor in Council.
How old do you have to be to vote?
You must be 18
years of age to vote.
I am a student and away from home. How do I vote?
A student who
lives away from home and is eligible to vote can be registered to
vote in his or her parents' electoral district. However, you are not
obliged to vote where your family resides. Your place of ordinary
residence may be the place that you have adopted as home while you
are at school, and you may choose to register and vote in that riding.
As a student,
once you have chosen your electoral district, you may vote by regular
ballot at the polls, or by mail, using the special ballot. Remember
that if you want to vote by mail, you must register for the special
ballot; forms are available from Elections Canada once an election
is called. For more information on voting by special ballot, follow
this link.
Visit Elections Canada's website for additional
Voter Information
Page
last updated May 28, 2004
Website
content & design created
by Barbara Anello
unless otherwise noted
