The next federal election will take place on Monday, April 28th, 2025.

To vote, you need to be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old on the day of the election (April 28th). Permanent residents are not eligible to vote. 

You can use Elections Canada’s online voter registration service to check if you are registered to vote. If you are registered in advance, you should receive a voter information card in the mail by April 11th, which will tell you where and when you can vote. You can also use the online voter registration service to update the address on your voter registration, register to vote, and to apply to vote by mail. You can also register to vote at your local Elections Canada office or at your assigned polling station when you go to vote. 

More information: Elections Canada’s FAQs on Registration

You have three different options to prove your identity and address when you go to vote. 

Option 1: Show your driver’s license, General Identification Card, or another form of government-issued photo ID with your name and current address.

Option 2: Show two pieces of ID with your name, and at least one of them must have your current address. eg: a credit card and a utility bill, or a status card and a student ID card. You can find the full list of accepted ID here. If the document you are using as ID was issued electronically, you can bring a printed copy or show it on a mobile device. You can still use expired ID, as long as it has your name and current address.  

Option 3: If you don’t have ID, you can declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you vouch for you. This person needs to be assigned to the same polling station as you, and they must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can only vouch for one person (except in long-term care facilities).

If you registered to vote in advance and received a voter information card in the mail, it’s recommended that you bring this with you when you go to vote, along with your ID, to make the voting process easier. 

More information: Elections Canada’s ID to vote

You can vote now in-person at any Elections Canada office, anytime before 4pm on April 22, 2025. You can also vote by mail if you apply before 4pm on April 22, 2025. Please note that the only Elections Canada office in the Northwest Territories is in Yellowknife, so this option is not available for people who cannot travel to Yellowknife. 

You can vote at an advanced poll. To find advanced polling dates, locations, and hours, follow the steps under ‘How do I find my polling station?’. Additional advance polling locations may be available in some remote communities, and voting hours may vary.

You can vote on election day. You can vote at your assigned polling station on Monday, April 28th, 2025.

If you are voting on election day, you will go to your assigned polling station to vote. To find your voting location, visit the Elections Canada website and find the purple box at the top of the page called ‘My voter information’. In this box, enter your postal code in the space provided, and click go. You will be directed to a new page. Click on ‘Where do I vote?’ in the blue box on this page. This will take you to a new page where you can enter your current address and press search to find your assigned polling station.

To vote, you need to make sure that the name and address on the ID you are using to vote matches the name and address on your voter registration. You can still vote even if your appearance doesn’t match your photo ID. If you are using two pieces of ID, you can still vote if they have different gender markers. 

Source: Egale Canada

More information: Elections Canada’s FAQs on ID to vote - Information for transgender voters

If you have changed your name, and the name on your current ID does not match the name on your voter registration, you will need to update your voter registration before you vote. If you are registered to vote in the NWT, there are a few different ways that you can update the name on your voter registration. You can update it in-person at your local Elections Canada office, you can update it over the phone by calling 1-866-564-6481 and selecting the first option, or you can email your local Elections Canada office to request an update.

You are not required to provide proof of your name change. However, when you go to vote, you will need to be able to provide ID that confirms your updated name and current address.

All voters must provide proof of their identity and address. If you don’t have a fixed address, you can show a Letter of Confirmation of Residence. This letter can be signed by an administrator at a First Nation’s band or local Inuit Authority, or by an administrator of one of the following establishments where you live or receive services: a student residence, a seniors’ residence, a long-term care facility, a shelter, a housing provider, or another establishment that provides food, housing, or social services. You can use the postal code from the completed letter to find your assigned polling station. 

Before signing your letter, the administrator should contact the returning officer to make sure that their establishment is on Elections Canada’s approved list. If they are not on the approved list, you will not be able to use this letter to confirm your address. 

Source: Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa

By law, everyone who is eligible to vote must have three consecutive hours, during the time that their assigned polling station is open, to cast their vote on election day*. If your work hours don’t let you have 3 consecutive hours to vote outside of work time, your employer must give you paid time off to vote. However, your employer has the right to decide at what time they will give you the time off. For example, if you work from 8:30am to 5:00pm and your assigned polling station is open from 7:00am to 7:00pm, your employer could let you come in at 10:00am, let you leave at 4:00pm, or give you 3 hours off during the work day. 

More information: Elections Canada’s FAQs – Time off to vote

*With some specific exceptions for the transportation industry.