Canada 2021 Federal Election Special Ballot Voting

Organisation : Elections Canada
Election Name : 2021 Federal Election Special Ballot Voting
Country : Canada
Website : https://www.elections.ca/home.aspx

Elections Canada Special Ballot Voting

The deadline to apply to vote by special ballot is on Tuesday, September 14, 6:00 p.m. If you apply to vote by special ballot in this election, be sure to return your marked ballot to us by election day, Monday, September 20.

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** If you are voting by special ballot from inside your riding, we must receive your marked ballot by the time polls close in your riding.

** If you are voting by special ballot from outside of your riding, we must receive your marked ballot by election day, 6:00 p.m., Eastern time.

Your ballot is your responsibility. If you need help returning your ballot, seal your ballot kit envelopes and choose someone you know and trust. Details about deadlines are included in every special ballot voting kit.

Remember:
Once you have applied to vote by special ballot, you can’t change your mind and vote at advance polls or on election day.

Your ballot is your responsibility. If you need help returning your ballot, seal your ballot kit envelopes and choose someone you know and trust.

Voting By Special Ballot

Voting by special ballot is different than voting on election day or at advance polls. You use the special ballot process when you vote:

** by mail
** at any Elections Canada office across Canada
** in a hospital
** in a correctional institution
** as a member of the Canadian Forces voting at a military poll

How It Works?

When you vote by special ballot, your ballot won’t have a list of candidates to choose from. Instead, there is a blank space for you to write the name of the candidate you’re voting for. If you are voting by mail, we will send you a voting kit with detailed instructions. If you are voting at a local Elections Canada office, an election worker can help you if you have questions.

1. Choose a candidate running for election in your riding:
The list of candidates is not final right away. Candidates continue to be confirmed until Monday, August 30. If you already know who you are voting for, you can mark and return your ballot at any time. If you aren’t sure or prefer to wait until all of the candidates in your riding have been confirmed, you can simply wait until the final list has been published.

To find the most recent list of confirmed candidates, check our online Voter Information Service or contact us. We update the list daily, but the final list will not be available until after the nomination process closes on Monday, August 30. If you are voting at an Elections Canada office, ask an election worker for the current list of confirmed candidates in your riding.

If you are abroad, you can get the names of candidates at most Canadian embassies, high commissions and consulates. As some diplomatic offices do not offer electoral services, we recommend that you contact the office to see whether services are available before visiting in person.

2. Once you have your special ballot, write the first and last name of your chosen candidate on the ballot. You do not have to write the name of the political party, but if you do, your vote will still be counted as long as you also write the name of the candidate you’re voting for. If you write only the name of a political party, your vote won’t be counted.

3. Place your completed special ballot in the unmarked envelope we provided and seal it. Then place the unmarked envelope into the envelope with your information on it, seal it, then sign and date the declaration on the outer envelope. It is an offence under the Canada Elections Act to pretend that you are someone else in order to vote.

4. If you are voting in person at an Elections Canada office, you may drop your envelope in a ballot box

If you’re voting by mail, follow the instructions that came with your voting kit and return your ballot using the pre-addressed return envelope provided. The postage is prepaid—you do not need to add a stamp. Make sure that Elections Canada receives your ballot by the deadline indicated in your voting kit.

Ballots that arrive after the deadline will not be counted, so make sure to factor in how long it will take for your ballot to arrive in the mail. If you are concerned about returning your ballot in time, you may consider using an expedited parcel delivery service, at your own cost. You can contact us at 1-800-463-6868 to check if your ballot has been received.

When it’s time to count the ballots, election workers will open all of the signed outer envelopes and remove all of the unmarked inner envelopes. They will then return only the unmarked inner envelopes to the ballot boxes and mix them up. In this way, no envelope can be traced back to the voter and the vote is kept secret.

During and after elections, we carefully monitor suspicious patterns and anomalies. If Elections Canada detects evidence of an offence under the Canada Elections Act, the event information is provided to the Commissioner of Canada Elections for consideration.