As Canada’s Federal Election campaign hits the halfway mark, pre-polling numbers are signalling that Canadians are more engaged in this election ever before.
According to Elections Canada, over 130,000 Canadians have already cast their ballots and nearly 350,000 special ballots have been issued — with 17 days still to go.
Special ballots allow voters to cast their vote at any time during the election campaign, as long as they know the name of the candidate they’re voting for.
James Hale, a spokesperson for Elections Canada, said these numbers speak to the importance of this election for Canadians.
“That’s just an anecdotal measure of how much interest there is in this election, and also how much interest there is in using that special ballot. Our observations note that this way of voting has become more and more popular because it introduces a lot more flexibility into the voting process.”
How to vote
While general voting day is still a few weeks away, voters have several opportunities to cast their vote early.
In-person special ballot voting is currently available at any Elections Canada office countrywide. Meanwhile, advance polling takes place from April 18 to April 21.
Voters can also request to vote by mail via special ballot through Elections Canada, which Hale said offers flexibility for those who may not be available on general voting day.
“If you’re going to be travelling over the five days of advance polling or on general election day — or if you’re in another country or live abroad and are eligible to vote — you can vote by special ballot, which is very convenient.”
Registration
Eligible voters should begin receiving their voter information cards in the mail in the coming days. These cards should display your name and other voter details Elections Canada has on file.
Hale added if any information on the card is incorrect — or if this is your first time voting — you’ll need to visit the Elections Canada website to register or update your address and personal information. This can also be done in person at your local Elections Canada office.
Otherwise, Hale notes that registration will be available at polling stations on both general voting day and during advance polling, although this may take extra time.
“The only downside of registering when you go to vote is that it slows down the process — both for yourself and for others. So, if you don’t want to deal with long lineups or delays, you should probably take care of that in advance. But there are numerous ways to update your information if you don’t receive a voter information card or if anything on it is incorrect.”
What to bring
Voters will need to bring proof of identification, no matter how they choose to vote.
The ideal ID includes a driver’s licence with a photo, name, and address. However, for those unable to provide this, Hale says there are other acceptable forms.
“There are myriad combinations of identification you can bring to the polls to prove who you are. It’s a long list, but it includes utility bills and various documents that can be used as valid ID.”
Why vote?
“Our message on voting is very simple. It’s captured in our tagline: ‘It’s your vote,’” said Hale.
While election night often centres around party leaders, Hale wants voters to remember they are electing a local representative who will be their voice in Parliament.
“We live in an enormous country with several time zones, but people need to remember that they’re voting for their local representative. So even though a ‘winner’ may be declared by the time polls close in B.C., you’re still voting for the person who will represent you in Parliament.”
Electoral Redistribution
The 2025 Federal Election is the first to take place since electoral redistribution occurred in 2022.
Electoral redistribution happens every ten years to ensure that ridings reflect changes in population.
This year, there are 340 seats up for grabs across the country — up from 308 seats just 25 years ago.
“That just shows you how quickly our population has changed. When it comes to redistribution, it’s really important to remember what a fluid society we live in.”
Hale added that in this election, more than 300,000 new Canadians are eligible to vote, along with another 380,000 who have reached voting age since the last election.
Additionally, over 300,000 eligible voters from the 2021 federal election have since passed away.
“There’s a lot of churn in society. What’s reflected in redistribution is the effort to ensure equal representation. You can build out population areas quite differently.”
He adds that it’s important for voters to check what federal riding they’re in, as boundaries have changed.
“This is the first election held under the latest redistribution. So it’s really important for everyone to go on elections.ca, enter their postal code, and find out where they need to vote. A lot of people may be surprised to find themselves in a different electoral district — which again just reflects how much things have changed since the last election.”
Hale couldn’t say whether special ballot numbers point to a record-breaking voter turnout, but he says the data suggests increased engagement.
“We really can only tell once the last person has voted on election day. There are so many factors at play. Anecdotally though, I think those special ballot numbers do indicate that more people are engaged this year — which wouldn’t surprise us at all, given everything we’ve discussed.”
For more information on how to vote in this election, visit elections.ca.
– story done by Storrm Lennie, My Nelson Now staff
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