Vote as Early as Today!

So you’re out of town or too busy on election day, Oct. 19th. Or perhaps you made up your mind long before debate season. Well here’s some good news: you can vote right now! Although not everyone knows about early voting, it is a legal option that every Canadian can take advantage of. Voting doesn’t have to be a hassle just because the Fair Elections Act changed some rules of the game, and advanced voting makes things even simpler. But first things first: find out if you’re registered to vote. There’s a good chance you are, but finding out takes only about a minute. Just go to ereg.elections.ca and press Start. If you’re not registered already, you can do so at the same link, or by visiting or contacting by mail your local Elections Canada office. This is a much easier and faster way to register, just make sure you do it before the deadline on Oct. 13th.

Now that you’re registered (you did it, right?) here are the 3 ways you can vote early this election:

Vote at one of the 400 Elections Canada offices: Find the Elections Canada office nearest you and visit it before Oct. 13 anytime from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Make sure to bring your approved ID with you and you’re all set!

Vote on advance voting days: There are four scheduled days where polls in your area will be open for early voting from 8 a.m. til 5 p.m. These days are:

• Friday Oct. 9

• Saturday Oct. 10

• Sunday Oct. 11

• Monday Oct. 12

New this year, from October 5 to 8, Elections Canada will be opening offices at several campuses, youth centres and Friendship Centres to help make the voting process more accessible. Check the list of where these offices will be located to find one close to home.

Vote by mail: If you’re travelling, live outside of Canada, or you just don’t want to leave your house to vote, you can request a ballot and vote by mail. The deadline to request your mail-in ballot is Oct. 13th, but the sooner you request, the better! Make sure that you allow enough time for your voting kit to reach you and for your marked ballot to reach Elections Canada in Ottawa by election day. To request your ballot, you can call the special vote-by-mail hotline at 1-866-222-2565, or visit your local Elections Canada office.

What pieces of ID do I need?

You can take your Driver’s License, your Canadian ID card, or 2 other pieces of ID (at least one must have your current address) e.g. passport, health card, more examples here.

What if not all candidates are declared?

You can still vote for those candidates who are already registered. If you’re confident you’re ready to vote, there is no need to wait until all the candidates are declared.

Still curious about how to vote early? Check out our LIVE Periscope stream at 11.30 a.m. PST / 2.30 p.m. EST when our own Meghan Sali will take you through it while she does it herself!

This election is the most important Canadian Internet users have ever faced. That’s why we launched a new election action platform to ensure you have all of the information you need to cast an informed vote in support of the Internet Canadians want and deserve. This is our best chance to repeal Bill C-51, reject the TPP’s censorship scheme, and deliver affordable world-class Internet for all Canadians. So don’t forget to pledge your vote at OurDigitalFuture.ca

Happy voting!