We said good-bye to Justin Trudeau earlier this month and barely blinked three times before a federal election was called in Canada.
Mark Carney, the Prime Minister appointed by Trudeau to succeed him and bridge the gap between him and the next Prime Minister-elect, called the election on Sunday, March 24, just 10 days after his induction into the Canadian Parliament.
Candidates will campaign for 5 weeks – that’s 36 days, the minimum time required by law for an election.
And so, we go to the polls to elect the country’s next prime minister! But it’s all happening very quickly, and so that we can exercise all our power as Canadian voters, we have a guide with all the info for these elections…
Key election dates
March 24: Election called by Mark Carney, Acting Prime Minister
April 1: You can find your polling station (based on your address) online on the Elections Canada website.
April 7: end of the candidacy period – when candidates can stand for election
April 9: the final list of candidates for the election is available
April 13-16: students can vote on campus
April 14: Elections Canada mails federal election guide and information card to all Canadian households
April 16: incarcerated people will be able to vote in their institution
April 18-April 20: advance polls (all electors will be able to vote earlier at their local polling station)
April 20-22: mobile polling stations will be opened in short-term care facilities (such as hospitals)
April 22: last day to register with the National Register of Electors online
April 22: deadline to apply to vote by mail or special ballot at an Elections Canada office
April 28: Election Day!
How do I register to vote?
In Canada, you don’t have to be on the National Register of Electors to vote. All you need to do is be over 18.
However, we do recommend that you register online, and we recommend that you do so beforehand. You can register online until April 22.
Alternatively, you can register live at your polling station on the day you vote.
To find your polling station, it’s pretty simple: just go to the Elections Canada website and enter your address here!
In both cases (whether you register online or directly at your polling station), you’ll need to show proof of identity; in Quebec, this can be a driver’s license, a provincial or territorial identity card, or a passport – it must include your name, up-to-date address and photo.
How do I vote?
There are several ways to vote, and depending on our availability, you can vote in person, by mail or with a special ballot.
For those living abroad or who will be out of the country in April
You must apply online to vote by mail before April 22 at 6 p.m. (Eastern Time), and a voting kit will be mailed to you with a prepaid return envelope, a ballot to fill out and instructions for returning it (as soon as possible!).
For those in Montreal who want to vote in person
First , identify your polling station (see above article for link to polling station as of April 1).
You will be able to vote in advance at your polling station from April 18 to the evening of April 21.
Otherwise, we’ll vote in person on Election Day, April 28 – and in Canada, our employer is obliged by law to give us 4 consecutive hours on Election Day to vote, without penalty or reduction in pay.
How will we get the information we need to decide who to vote for?
With social networks, TV, radio and print media, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to finding out about the different parties, candidates and their plans for Canada. In today’s economic and political climate, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, bombarded by information and clips lasting just a few seconds, with quotes that are out of context and often inflammatory.
We recommend that you check out the major local and national news sources, such as Radio Canada, which have sections dedicated to the federal election, and spend a little time researching the candidates you’ll be able to vote for on April 28.
On the Elections Canada website, when we go to find our polling station, we can also see the list of names that will be on our ballot.
We remember that voting is a privileged right and we’ll do it with intention, well informed, and if we do it fast enough we’ll have time to drink a coffee in the sun before going back to work…
Happy elections!