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Federal Election Monday, April 28, 2025

Indigenous electors

Research shows that Indigenous electors who wish to participate in federal elections face barriers. Making the electoral process more accessible and inclusive is an important part of our work at Elections Canada.

Learn more about the barriers Indigenous electors may face when going to vote.

About federal elections

In a federal election, Canadians vote to elect a member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. MPs debate and pass laws on Canadians' behalf. One MP represents the people of one riding. There are 343 ridings in Canada.

Candidates can represent a political party, or they can be independent, meaning they have no association with a political party. After all the votes are counted for each riding, the political party with the most MPs in the House of Commons usually forms the government. The leader of that party becomes the prime minister of Canada.

Ways to register

Register to vote

To register and vote in the federal election, you must be a Canadian citizen, be at least 18 years old on election day and prove your identity and address. Make sure you're registered at your current address.

You can still register or update your voter information, including your name, at your assigned polling station when you vote on election day, Monday, April 28.

Make a plan to vote

The only remaining way to vote in this election is at your assigned polling station on Monday, April 28.

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ID to vote

You have three options to prove your identity and address.

Option 1 – Show one of these pieces of ID

  • your driver’s licence
  • any other card issued by a Canadian government (federal, provincial/territorial or local) with your photo, name and current address

Option 2 – Show two pieces of ID

Both must have your name and at least one must have your current address

Examples:

  • Indian status card, band membership card, Métis card or card issued by an Inuit local authority
  • letter of confirmation of residence from a First Nations band or reserve, Inuit local authority or an Alberta Metis Settlement authority
  • voter information card
  • utility bill (electricity, water, telecommunications services, including telephone, cable or satellite)
  • licence or card issued for fishing, trapping or hunting
  • student card or correspondence issued by a school, college or university

Don't have these? No problem!

There are other pieces of accepted ID.

Check out the full list, available in some Indigenous languages, at elections.ca

Option 3 – If you don't have ID

You can still vote if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person (except in long-term care facilities).

 

You can also see the full list of accepted ID online. It is available in several Indigenous languages.

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Working at a federal election

Over 200,000 Canadians across the country are hired during an election. Jobs are paid and training is provided.

To work at an election, you need to:

  • be a Canadian citizen
  • be at least 16 years old on election day
  • remain non-partisan

Many jobs are available. Apply for one that matches your skills!

Interpreter – Indigenous Elder and Youth Program

Elections Canada hires Indigenous Elders and youth to offer a welcoming presence and help electors navigate the voting process at the polls. This service is offered in polling stations that primarily serve Indigenous electors and is subject to the availability of participants. Since the 2019 federal election, we have expanded our efforts to increase participation in this program. For more information, please refer to the job description for the Indigenous Elder and Youth Program.

Community relations officer

Elections Canada hires Indigenous community relations officers to provide information and assistance to members of their communities on where, when and ways to register and vote. For more information, please refer to the job description for Indigenous community relations officers.

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Products and services in Indigenous languages

We're expanding our communication products available in Indigenous languages to make the electoral process more inclusive and reduce barriers for Indigenous electors. These products include:

 

Products for Nunavut

To serve the needs of electors in Nunavut, several products are available in both Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun.

 

Language interpretation services

During the entire election period, we offer phone interpretation services for certain Indigenous languages. Call us at 1-800-463-6868 and request service in the language of your choice. This service is also available by phone at your local Elections Canada office (including Vote on Campus offices). You can also request phone interpretation services for when you go to vote. We recommend setting up this service in advance if possible. For less common languages, the more notice you provide, the more likely interpretation services can be offered. We provide this service through a third-party company. Slight variations in the spelling of language names may be expected. Indigenous languages included in this service include:

  • Algonquian
  • Blackfoot
  • Chipewyan
  • Cree
  • Cree-James Bay
  • Cree-Moose
  • Cree-Plains
  • Cree-Swampy
  • Cree-Woodlands
  • Dakota
  • Dene
  • Dogrib
  • Inuinnaqtun
  • Inuktitut
  • Michif
  • Micmac
  • Mi'kmaq
  • Mohawk
  • North Slavey
  • Ojibway
  • Oji-Cree
  • Saulteaux
  • Slavey
  • South Slavey
  • Tsilhqotin

Electors can also request in-person sign language interpretation for when they go vote by calling their local Elections Canada office, 1-800-463-6868 or 1-800-361-8935 (TTY) by the Tuesday before election day, 6 p.m.

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