Elections Canada Accessible Voting & Polling Stations

Organisation : Elections Canada
Election Name : Accessible Voting
Country : Canada
Website : https://www.elections.ca/home.aspx

Elections Canada Accessible Voting

We work hard to make voting in the federal election accessible to all Canadians. If you have a disability or know someone who does, we have many tools and services to make it easier to vote.

Accessible Polling Stations

We work hard to remove the barriers that Canadians with disabilities face when they go to vote. That’s why we make every effort to choose accessible polling stations.

We search for polling stations that are familiar, accessible and close to where you live. We visit over 30,000 possible locations to pick the best ones for all Canadian electors.

Almost all of our polling stations are accessible. This means they meet at least 15 mandatory accessibility criteria, which include:
** Level access to the entrance
** Voting room located on the same level as the entrance
** Doors that can be easily opened (i.e. are not heavy or have automatic openers)
** Interior corridors free of obstacles
** Wide exterior pathways with firm surfaces that are free of obstacles
** Good interior and exterior lighting

Whenever possible, we pick polling stations that are wheelchair accessible and have automatic door openers. If we can’t find an acceptable site with an automatic door opener, an election worker will be assigned to provide assistance at the entrance of the polling station.

For more information on how we choose polling stations, please refer to our Accessibility Policy and Service Offering.

How accessible is your polling station?
To find out how accessible your assigned polling station is, call us at 1-800-463-6868 or 1-800-361-8935 (TTY).

Tools Available At Polling Stations

Large-print and braille lists of candidates:
Large-print lists of candidates are available at advance polls and on election day. The large-print list of candidates looks exactly like the ballot, but is 2.5 times bigger. You can take this list with you behind the voting screen and refer to it when you mark your ballot.

On election day, your polling station will have a braille list of candidates with candidate names and their political affiliation in the same order as they appear on the ballot. On the braille list of candidates, the candidates’ names also have numbers that match the embossed and braille numbers on the braille voting templates we offer.

Tactile and braille voting templates:
On election day and at advance polls, your polling station will have tactile and braille voting templates that you can use to mark your ballot. Simply fit your ballot into the template and use the braille and embossed numbers to find the space next to your chosen candidate’s name.

You may want to use the voting templates in combination with the large-print or braille lists of candidates.

Magnifiers:
Did you know our magnifiers make your ballot look up to four times bigger? They are also lightweight and have a light. Simply ask for one from an election worker at your polling station.

Large-grip pencils (limited quantity):
We have limited quantities of extra-large pencils to help you mark your ballot. You can also bring your own pen or pencil.

Voting screens that let in more light:
Read your ballot and voting instructions more clearly! Our voting screens have no overhead cover so they let in more light.

Contact

Can’t find what you need? Call us at 1-800-463-6868 or 1-800-361-8935 (TTY).