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Overview of the tools and services that are available during elections

There are many tools and services available to make it easier for you to vote.

Assistance marking your ballot

If you need help to mark your ballot, bring a support person (such as a family member, friend, personal support worker, or intervener) to help you vote. To protect the secrecy of your vote, we ask that this person take an oath before you vote.

Our election workers can also assist you if you need help marking your ballot. In this case, we always have a second election worker present to act as a witness.

Sign language interpretation

If you need sign language interpretation on election day, we need to know ahead of time.

Once an election is called, contact us to let us know what type of interpretation service you need.



Help to prove your identity

Someone can vouch for you to help prove your identity and address. This person must be an eligible elector assigned to your polling station, and may vouch for the identity and address of only one person.

At a senior's residence or institution serving persons with a disability, an employee of that institution may vouch for the identity and address of more than one elector, including any elector who resides in that riding or an adjacent riding.

Signature guide

In some cases, you might need to sign your name during the voting process.

We have signature guides available at all Elections Canada offices.


Tools available at polling stations

Bigger ballot with candidate names in large print

We have improved the design of our ballot since the last election to make it easier for you to read.

If you're voting at advance polls or on election day, the ballots are bigger and the candidate names are in a larger font size.

Large-print and braille lists of candidates

Large-print lists of candidates are available at advance polls and on election day. The large-print list of candidates looks exactly like the ballot, but is 2.5 times bigger. You can take this list with you behind the voting screen and refer to it when you mark your ballot.

On election day, your polling station will have a braille list of candidates with candidate names and their political affiliation in the same order as they appear on the ballot. On the braille list of candidates, the candidates' names also have numbers that match the embossed and braille numbers on the braille voting templates we offer.

Tactile and braille voting templates

On election day and at advance polls, your polling station will have tactile and braille voting templates that you can use to mark your ballot. Simply fit your ballot into the template and use the braille and embossed numbers to find the space next to your chosen candidate's name.

You may want to use the voting templates in combination with the large-print or braille lists of candidates.

Magnifiers

Did you know our magnifiers make your ballot look up to four times bigger? They are also lightweight and have a light.

Simply ask for one from an election worker at your polling station.

Large-grip pencils

We have extra-large pencils to help you mark your ballot.

Voting screens that let in more light

Read your ballot and voting instructions more clearly! Our voting screens have no overhead cover so they let in more light.