Didn't register to vote? You can still do so on election day

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 27, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

It's not excessively precocious for Canadians looking to formed their ballot who haven't yet registered to ballot — Elections Canada allows voters to registry connected predetermination time astatine their polling station.

"You tin bash it close past and determination earlier you vote, truthful radical don't request to interest if they haven't got their registration successful early," Elections Canada spokesperson Matthew McKenna told CBC News.

"It'll conscionable beryllium 1 other small measurement earlier you spell to vote. But it's beauteous seamless."

Here's a breakdown of however to registry connected voting day.

How bash I cognize wherever to go?

Voters tin find their polling presumption by entering their postal codification connected the Elections Canada website.

You tin besides telephone Elections Canada astatine 1-800-463-6868.

What bash I request to register?

At the polling station, each you request to bash is beryllium your individuality and that you unrecorded successful the riding.

"For a batch of people, that'll beryllium 1 portion of government-issued ID with their code and a photograph of them — truthful reasoning a driver's licence [as an example]," McKenna said.

What if I don't person ID with my existent address?

Other ID cards, similar a wellness card, library card, pupil paper oregon worker ID are accepted. But if the paper doesn't see your code oregon if it's retired of date, past you'll request to separately supply impervious of address.

You tin usage a operation of assorted documents to beryllium who you are and wherever you live.

Something similar a lease statement oregon inferior measure tin beryllium utilized to beryllium your address.

WATCH | Breaking down however to vote: 

"Really the cardinal is you request thing that's got your existent code connected it and past immoderate different happening to benignant of beryllium your sanction oregon who you are," McKenna said.

"It could beryllium thing from a slope paper and your lease oregon a hydro measure that has your code connected it and a firearms license."

If I can't prove my address, tin I inactive vote?

You tin inactive registry and ballot adjacent if you don't person each the required documentation, but you would request idiosyncratic to vouch for you.

"If you cognize idiosyncratic other successful your riding, you tin get them to bash an attestation for you. Many radical telephone it vouching," McKenna said.

Any registered elector successful your riding — a household member, neighbour, person oregon co-worker — tin vouch for you.

"That idiosyncratic would fundamentally attest to the information that you unrecorded successful that riding and, arsenic agelong arsenic they tin beryllium their individuality and address, that would suffice for you to beryllium capable to vote," McKenna said.

A registered elector tin lone vouch for 1 different person.

Do I get clip disconnected enactment to vote?

Polling stations volition beryllium unfastened for 12 hours connected predetermination day, but the circumstantial clip depends connected what clip portion you unrecorded in.

While that is ample clip to formed a ballot, McKenna noted it tin make difficulties for definite displacement workers.

Employers by instrumentality indispensable springiness their workers a three-hour model to vote. But that doesn't needfully mean they person to springiness you 3 hours off.

"Say that the polls successful your riding adjacent astatine 9 and your displacement is typically implicit astatine 8 — good your brag could say, 'Hey, OK, you're done astatine six, spell and vote," McKenna said.

"It truly conscionable depends. But the cardinal is that you've got that three-hour model to bash it."

How bash I people my ballot?

Voters traditionally people their ballot with an X beside their preferred candidate. But McKenna said arsenic agelong arsenic it's wide who you're voting for, immoderate people volition do.

"Whether it's an X oregon a cheque oregon a blessed face, the counters volition spot that and they'll say, 'Ok, it's precise wide who this idiosyncratic was intending to ballot for,' and it'll each beryllium good," helium said.

Elections Canada provides pencils astatine the polling station, but voters tin bring their ain penning utensil if they prefer.

"You could spell successful with your favourite pen, oregon a Sharpie, oregon a crayon that you mightiness person successful your pouch … you tin people utilizing the penning utensil of your prime arsenic agelong arsenic your volition is clear," McKenna said.

If you marque a mistake connected your ballot, you tin speech it for different one.