Who can vote in federal elections?

Eligibility to vote in federal elections in Canada requires three things: Canadian citizenship, age (at least 18 years on Election Day), and inclusion on the National Register of Electors (or registration on Election Day). The eligibility rules are set out in the Canada Elections Act. Permanent residents who are not Canadian citizens cannot vote in federal elections, although they may be able to vote in some municipal elections in some jurisdictions.

Section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the right of every Canadian citizen to vote in federal and provincial elections. The right is one of the few Charter rights immune from override under the section 33 notwithstanding clause. Sauve v. Canada (Chief Electoral Officer) (2002) struck down the prohibition on inmates serving sentences of two years or more from voting. Frank v. Canada (Attorney General) (2019) struck down provisions denying the federal vote to Canadian citizens who had lived abroad for more than five years.

Canadian voter eligibility has expanded over time. The original Confederation franchise was limited to property-owning men (with some race-based exclusions). Most Canadian women won the federal vote in 1918 (the federal Act to confer the Electoral Franchise upon Women). Indigenous people (status Indians under the Indian Act) gained the right to vote without losing status in 1960 under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. Asian Canadians regained the federal vote in 1947 (Chinese Canadians) and 1948 (Japanese Canadians) after wartime disenfranchisement. The federal voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 by the 1970 Election Expenses Act amendments.

Voter Identification requirements were added by Bill C-31 in 2007. Voters must show one piece of government-issued photo ID with name and address (drivers licence, provincial ID card, or Indian status card with photo), or two pieces of ID without photo (one with name and address, one with name only), or have their identity vouched for by another voter from the same polling division. The list of acceptable IDs is maintained by Elections Canada. Voters can register on Election Day with appropriate identification. About 17 million Canadians vote in a typical federal election (turnout of 60 to 70 per cent of eligible voters). The 2025 federal election turnout was about 62 per cent.