How elections work in Canada — and how you’ll vote

When you become a citizen, you gain a right that permanent residents do not have: the right to vote. This article explains how a federal election works, from the riding where you live to the moment a new government is formed. It ends with a simple checklist for your first vote. The test often asks about these points, so learn the English terms as you read. For a short summary of the chapter, see Federal Elections.

Ridings: the building blocks of an election

Canada is divided into electoral districts, also called ridings or constituencies. A riding is an area on the map, based mainly on population, so provinces with more people have more ridings. The voters in each riding elect one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons in Ottawa. The MP represents everyone who lives in the riding, including people who voted for another candidate. The number of ridings changes over time as the population changes, so this site does not give a number.

How the winner is chosen

On your ballot, you choose one candidate in your riding. The candidate with the most votes wins, even with less than half of the votes. There is no second round. This system is often called first-past-the-post. Think of a race: the first runner past the finish line wins, no matter how close the others are.

In this example, Candidate A becomes the MP. Most voters chose someone else, but no other candidate received more votes than A.

Most candidates represent a political party, but a citizen can also run as an independent, with no party. Any Canadian citizen aged 18 or older may be a candidate.

When elections happen

Federal law sets a general election for the third Monday in October, four years after the last general election. However, the Prime Minister can ask the Governor General to call an election earlier. This can happen, for example, after the government loses a vote of confidence in the House of Commons. So the gap between elections is sometimes shorter than four years.

Who runs elections: Elections Canada

Elections Canada organizes federal elections. It is a neutral, non-partisan agency of Parliament. It does not work for the party in power, and no party controls the vote. Elections Canada keeps the National Register of Electors, a permanent database of Canadians who are qualified to vote, and uses it to prepare the voters’ list for each riding. It never records how anyone voted. Provinces and territories have their own election offices for their own elections.

Who can vote in a federal election

Permanent residents cannot vote or run in federal elections, no matter how long they have lived in Canada. Voting is one of the rights that comes with citizenship. It is also a responsibility.

How voting works

The voter information card

After an election is called, Elections Canada mails a voter information card to each person in the National Register of Electors. The card tells you when and where to vote, including the dates and places of advance polls. It also gives a phone number to call if you need an interpreter or other help. The card does not tell you whom to vote for, and it is not proof of citizenship. If you are eligible but no card arrives, contact Elections Canada. You can still vote.

Identification

When you vote, you must prove your identity and address. Elections Canada publishes a list of accepted ID. The simplest choice is one government card that shows your photo, name and address, such as a driver’s licence. If you do not have one, check the list before you go for other ways to prove who you are and where you live.

Three ways to vote

• On election day, at the polling station for your address.
• At an advance poll, on certain days before election day. The dates and place are on your card.
• By special ballot, which you must apply for in advance. It lets you vote by mail or at an Elections Canada office.

No one else can vote for you.

The secret ballot

Behind a voting screen, you mark an X in the circle next to the candidate you choose. Never sign the ballot. You fold it, the poll official tears off the ballot number, and you put the ballot in the box yourself. Thanks to the secret ballot, no one may watch you vote or force you to reveal your choice. That includes your family, your employer and anyone else. You are still free to tell people how you voted if you want to. Counting starts as soon as the polls close, and the results are made public.

After the election: forming a government

• The Governor General normally invites the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Commons to form the government. That leader becomes the Prime Minister.
• The Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet ministers. Together, the Prime Minister and Cabinet prepare the budget and propose most new laws.
• The government stays in office only while it keeps the confidence (the support) of most MPs. Losing a key vote, such as the vote on the budget, usually leads to a new election. Read more in How a bill becomes law in Canada.

All parties that are not in government are opposition parties. They question and challenge the government’s plans and try to improve them, always by peaceful means.

Provincial, territorial and municipal elections

Provinces and territories hold their own elections for their legislatures. The members have different titles: MLA in most places, MPP in Ontario, MNA in Quebec and MHA in Newfoundland and Labrador. In cities and towns, voters elect a mayor (or reeve) and councillors. These elections are run by provincial, territorial or local election offices. They also use a secret ballot, but dates and procedures can be different, so check the rules for each election. As a citizen, you have the responsibility to vote at all three levels. To find out who represents you at each level, see Who’s who in Canadian government.

Your first vote as a new citizen: a checklist

1. Check that you are registered. Use the Elections Canada website or contact Elections Canada to confirm that you are in the National Register of Electors. Check again if you have just become a citizen or have moved. If you are not registered, you can register, including at the polling station.
2. Watch for your voter information card after an election is called. Check your name and address. If something is wrong, or no card comes, contact Elections Canada.
3. Find your polling station. Your card tells you where and when to vote, including the advance poll dates.
4. Prepare your ID. Use the Elections Canada list of accepted ID to make sure you can prove your identity and address.
5. Learn about the candidates in your riding and what they and their parties stand for.
6. Vote. Mark an X, fold the ballot and put it in the box yourself. If you are not sure what to do, ask the poll staff.
7. Cannot go on election day? Use an advance poll or a special ballot.

Common mix-ups

• You vote for your MP, not directly for the Prime Minister. A party leader’s name appears on the ballot only in the riding where that leader is a candidate.
• Senators are not elected. They are appointed, like the Governor General, Lieutenant Governors and judges.
• Permanent residents cannot vote or run in federal elections. Both require citizenship.
• The ballot is secret. No one can make you reveal your vote, but you may share it if you wish.
• The third Monday in October is the fixed date. A Tuesday in November is the American custom.
• Most votes wins in a riding. More than 50% is not needed.
• The Governor General, not Elections Canada, invites a leader to form the government.
• A minority government is still the government. It is not the Official Opposition.
• The voter information card is not proof of citizenship.

The right to vote is one of the democratic rights in the Charter; read more in The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms explained. Then test yourself with practice test 1.