Compendium of Election Administration in Canada - Comparative Overview
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· Menu · Introduction · Redistribution of Electoral Boundaries · Administration of Elections · Registration of Electors · Voting Process · Nomination and Registration of Political Entities · Election Financing and Advertising · Enforcement · Referendums, Plebiscites, Recall and Initiative · Selected Statistics on Most Recent General Elections · Chief Electoral Officers · List of Legislation, Regulations and Official Reports · List of Legislative Amendments ·

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D. Registration of Electors
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Every Canadian citizen is guaranteed the right to vote by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (section 3). This right is, however, restricted by law. All jurisdictions require an elector to be at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen. In Saskatchewan, individuals who are British subjects are also qualified to vote. However, some jurisdictions explicitly disqualify from voting the Chief Electoral Officer, the Assistant Chief Electoral Officer, returning officers, inmates, persons with a mental disability, and/or judges. In most provincial and territorial jurisdictions, the elector must also meet residency requirements. As a rule, electors must either be ordinarily resident (in Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario), or be a resident of their province or territory for a period of 6–12 months before polling day, or before the issuance of the writ.

All jurisdictions require an elector to be registered on a list of electors before voting. Nine jurisdictions produce their lists of electors from a permanent register (Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia). In all of these cases, except for Canada, the respective legislation provides for updates of the register through enumeration or a door-to-door canvassing of electors. In all cases, enumeration may take place outside the electoral period. In most cases, the permanent register may also be updated through data-sharing agreements with other government bodies. In jurisdictions without a permanent register of electors, enumeration takes place during the electoral period, usually in the first week or two weeks. Preliminary lists of electors are produced from an extract of the permanent register of electors or following the enumeration, as the case may be (in Alberta, the preliminary list is called the official list). In Saskatchewan, the preliminary lists are prepared by enumerators; based on these, secondary lists are produced either by returning officers or by the Chief Electoral Officer for use during revision.

In all jurisdictions, there is a revision period, when names may be added to, deleted from, or corrected on the preliminary lists of electors. The length of the revision period varies from one jurisdiction to another. Following revision, revised or official lists of electors are produced for use at the polling stations on polling day or at the advance polls.

An elector whose name does not appear on a list of electors has the option to register on polling day, except in Quebec and Yukon. This process usually requires the elector either to produce identification or take an oath, or both.

Some jurisdictions require that preliminary lists, revised lists, and official lists be provided to candidates or political parties, or both, during the electoral period. Only the legislation of three jurisdictions (Canada, New Brunswick and Alberta) states clearly that the final list of electors (or post-polling day list in Alberta) for each district, which is produced after polling day and includes all revisions and polling day registrations, must also be provided to the elected member of that district and to political parties.

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  Table D.1 Right to vote
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Jurisdiction
Qualifications
Disqualifications (who may not vote)
Canadian
citizenship
Age
Residency
Chief Electoral Officer
Assistant
Chief
Electoral
Officer
Returning
officer
Inmates
Mental disability
Other
Canada
18
Ordinarily resident
Serving more than 2 years1
Newfoundland and Labrador
18
Ordinarily resident
Prince Edward Island
18
6 months before date of writ
2
Nova Scotia
18
6 months before date of writ
Serving 2 years or more
New Brunswick
18
6 months before date of election
Convicted of corrupt or illegal practices in previous 5 years
Quebec
18
6 months or 12 months for elector residing outside Quebec
Convicted of corrupt election practices in previous 5 years
Under guardianship of Public Curator
Ontario
18
Ordinarily resident
Manitoba
18
6 months before polling day
Serving 5 years or more3
Saskatchewan Yes, or British subject if qualified as of June 23, 1971
18
6 months before date of writ
Conviction in previous 5 years for corrupt practices
Alberta
18
6 months before polling day
2
Serving more than 10 days, unless for non-payment of a fine
Convicted of corrupt practices during previous 8 years
British Columbia
18
6 months before polling day
Serving 2 years or more
Convicted of specific offences under Election Act during previous 7 years
Yukon
18
12 months on polling day
Northwest Territories
18
12 months before polling day
Convicted of corrupt or illegal practice
Nunavut
18
12 months before polling day
Person subject to a regime to protect his/her property or person due to incapacity to understand nature and consequences of his/her acts
Person acquitted of a Criminal Code offence by reason of mental disorder, voluntarily in a psychiatric or other institution
Convicted of an offence in previous 5 years
1 This provision appears in the Canada Elections Act but it has been struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada in Sauvé in November 2002.
2 Except when there is an equality of votes.
3 This provision appears in the Manitoba Elections Act (s. 31) but has been ruled of no force or effect by the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench, 1999.

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  Table D.2 Registers of electors, enumeration and revision
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Jurisdiction
Permanent register of electors
Enumeration
period
Revision period
Polling day
registration
Contents
Updates
Canada
Surname, given names, sex, date of birth, civic address and mailing address
From information expressly provided to Chief Electoral Officer by a federal department or body or other reliable source
Starts as soon as possible after issue of writs and ends at 6:00 p.m. on 6th day before polling day Electors must produce proper identification or take an oath
Newfoundland and Labrador
Through enumeration, swear-ins, exchange of information with Chief Electoral Officer of Canada and individual applications
Determined by returning officer
Determined by Chief Electoral Officer Electors must produce proper identification and take an oath
Prince Edward Island
Civic address (or mailing address, if different), including postal code; surname, given names, telephone number, sex, date of birth
From information obtained through a confirmation of electors
From information used for compiling lists of electors for a general election, by-election or referendum conducted by Chief Electoral Officer of Canada
From any other information obtained by or available to Chief Electoral Officer
From revisions as Chief Electoral Officer considers necessary
Determined by Chief Electoral Officer During period starting on nomination day and ending 3 days thereafter, except Sundays Electors must take an oath
Nova Scotia Given names and surname by which elector is known in polling division, birth date, address, sex
Must commence within 5 days after date of writ and continue for 7 consecutive days
Determined by Chief Electoral Officer Electors must complete application form and provide evidence of identification and residence
New Brunswick
Surname, given names, civic and mailing addresses, sex, date of birth and telephone number (optional)
Through enumeration or through Chief Electoral Officer of Canada or provincial department or agency
Determined by Chief Electoral Officer
From 12th to 4th day before polling day Electors must produce proper identification and take an oath or may be vouched for by another elector
Quebec
Name, residential address, sex and date of birth
Through the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec, school boards, the Public Curator1, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, provincial and municipal revision; through enumeration, agreements with municipal, provincial and federal bodies, municipal or referendum voters lists
Ordered by Government
From Monday of 3rd week to Thursday of 2nd week before polling day, between 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Ontario
Through enumeration, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, other federal or provincial government agencies or any municipality
Determined by Chief Election Officer
Up to day before polling day Electors must produce proper identification and make a statutory declaration or may be vouched for by another elector (only rural electoral districts)
Manitoba
Starts immediately after writ is issued for electoral division and ends 3 days before nominations close
From Wednesday after day voters list is completed for 4 consecutive days Electors must produce proper identification and take an oath
Saskatchewan
Starts immediately after writ is issued for constituency and ends within 10 days
Any time from posting of secondary2 voters list until 10:00 p.m. on revision day, the 4th day before polling day Electors must make a declaration
Alberta
Name, residential address, mailing address, telephone number, sex, date of birth, and, if person has resided in Alberta for less than 6 months, date person became a resident
Through enumeration, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, municipal voters lists, or any source available to Chief Electoral Officer
Determined by Chief Electoral Officer
Determined by Chief Electoral Officer with respect to enumeration; during election period, revisions taken from 5th day after issue of writ until the Saturday before advance polls Electors must produce proper identification and take an oath
British Columbia
Name, residential address and other information determined by Chief Electoral Officer
Through enumeration or Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
Commences on 1st Monday in May during 3rd calendar year after last general election and is terminated by Chief Electoral Officer
Applications for registration not taken between 8th day after election is called and 2nd day after polling day Electors must complete an application form and produce proper identification
Yukon
Ends not later than 13th day after issue of writ
9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on 18th and 19th days after issue of writ, and 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on 28th day after issue of writ
Northwest Territories
Surname, given names, residential address, including house number and postal code, mailing address and postal code if different from residential address, telephone number, sex, date of birth
From information obtained in an enumeration, or provided by Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, and any other information obtained by Chief Electoral Officer of Northwest Territories
Determined by Chief Electoral Officer
Determined by Chief Electoral Officer Electors must take an oath
Nunavut
Determined by Chief Electoral Officer
Begins immediately after certification of preliminary voters list and ends at 8:00 p.m. on 28th day before polling day Electors must complete application form establishing identity and place of residence; and sign declaration of right to vote

1 Elsewhere known as Public Guardian or Public Trustee
2 The secondary list is produced for revision purposes from the preliminary list prepared by enumerators.

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  Table D.3 Lists of electors
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Jurisdiction
Preliminary list
Revised list
Official list
Final list
When
Provided to
When
Provided to
When
Provided to
When
Provided to
Canada As soon as possible after issue of writ Returning officers and each candidate who requests one 11th day before polling day Deputy returning officers and each candidate 3rd day before polling day Deputy returning officers and each candidate As soon as possible after polling day Each registered party that endorsed a candidate in electoral district and elected member
Newfoundland and Labrador
Returning officers
Chief Electoral Officer for production of final lists
Returning officers
Prince Edward Island As soon as possible after confirmation of electors Returning officers, each registered political party and deputy returning officers
On receipt of confirmation records from returning officer Returning officers
Nova Scotia Not later than Monday, 15th day before polling day Returning officers and political organizations
When revision is complete Political organizations
New Brunswick As soon as possible after issue of writ, or 19th day before polling day if an enumeration was conducted Returning officers, each political party that nominated candidates, and each independent candidate
Deputy returning officers As soon as possible after polling day Each elected member and each registered political party upon request
Quebec Upon issue of order for an election, as soon as changes received before election order have been processed Returning officers, and, no later than 27th day before polling day, to authorized parties, other parties that make a request, independent members and each candidate No later than Saturday of 2nd week preceding polling week Each candidate and political parties
No later than Saturday of week preceding polling week
Candidates and political parties
Ontario As soon as possible after issue of writ Returning officers, municipal clerks and each candidate
Deputy returning officers
Manitoba At least 3 days before close of nominations Returning officers, each nominated candidate, Chief Electoral Officer and each registered party upon request At 8:00 p.m. on last day of revision Returning officers, each nominated candidate and Chief Electoral Officer
Deputy returning officers
Saskatchewan Within 10 days of issue of writ Returning officers and candidates
Immediately after certifying voters list Returning officers, deputy returning officers and each candidate or representative upon request
Alberta (Official list) As soon as possible after issue of writ Each registered political party and members of Legislative Assembly who are not members of registered political parties Commencing on the Monday preceding the opening of advance polls (additions appended to end of official list) Candidates may examine revised list at office of returning officer and may take extracts from it (see Preliminary list) (see Preliminary list) As soon as possible after polling day Each registered political party and each member of Legislative Assembly
British Columbia As soon as possible after election is called District registrars of voters, district electoral officers and candidates, and registered parties and members on request As soon as possible after beginning of closed period for general registration District registrars of voters, district electoral officers and candidates, and registered parties and members on request
Yukon
No later than 13th day after issue of writ
No later than 17th day after issue of writ
Returning officers
Candidates, Chief Electoral Officer and registered parties
As soon as applications have been processed, at end of revision or special revision Returning officers and deputy returning officers
Deputy returning officers (for polling day) and each registered political party (within 6 months of election)
Northwest Territories
As soon as possible after issue of writ
Returning officers, who must make a copy available for inspection in their offices
Within 4 days after revision period Returning officers and candidates
Nunavut
On day writ is issued
Returning officers and candidates upon request
No later than 23rd day before polling day Returning officers and each candidate in constituency
As soon as possible after polling day
To member elected to each constituency

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· Menu · Introduction · Redistribution of Electoral Boundaries · Administration of Elections · Registration of Electors · Voting Process · Nomination and Registration of Political Entities · Election Financing and Advertising · Enforcement · Referendums, Plebiscites, Recall and Initiative · Selected Statistics on Most Recent General Elections · Chief Electoral Officers · List of Legislation, Regulations and Official Reports · List of Legislative Amendments ·

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