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Voting in Canadian Federal Elections while Abroad
Persons eligible to vote in a federal election can exercise this right from anywhere in the world. The Elections Canada website can assist with determining eligibility and explaining how to vote while abroad.
The Consulate General of Canada wishes to inform you that a federal general election has been called. Election day will be Monday, May 2, 2011.
If you are a Canadian citizen who is 18 or older on election day, you can vote by special ballot by mail if you:
A) can provide a proof of identity and residence in Canada
or
B) have lived outside Canada for less than five consecutive years (or longer if you meet certain employment-based criteria*);
have lived in Canada at anytime before making the application; and intend to return to live in Canada.
*You are exempt from the five-year limit if you are posted outside Canada as:
a) an employee of a federal or provincial public administration
b) an employee of an international organization of which Canada is a member and to which Canada contributes, or
c) a person who lives with an elector described in a) or b) above, with a member of the Canadian Forces, or with a civilian employed as a teacher or as administrative support staff in a Canadian Forces school.
To Register:
If you are eligible and wish to vote, you must register to receive a special ballot voting kit. You can obtain an Application for Registration and Special Ballot by downloading it from the Elections Canada Web site at www.elections.ca (click on “Other Ways to Vote”). You can also obtain a registration kit at the Consulate General of Canada.
Register early! Your completed application form and identification documents must be received at Elections Canada in Ottawa by 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on April 26, 2011. You are responsible for allowing enough time for us to send you a special ballot voting kit and for you to return it before the deadline of 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on election day, May 2, 2011.
According to the Canada Elections Act, your vote cannot be counted if it is received late.
Send your application form and the copies of the required identification documents:
by fax:
613-998-8393
1-800-363-4796, toll-free in the United States
by mail:
Elections Canada
440 Coventry Road
PO Box 9830, Stn T
Ottawa, Ontario K1G 5W7
Canada
You can request that the special ballot voting kit be sent to you c/o the Consulate General of Canada at 1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020-1175,, provided you make arrangements with that office first. You are responsible for providing your contact information to allow that office to reach you once your special ballot voting kit is available for you to pick up.
For more information, contact Elections Canada:
Telephone 1-866-222-2565, toll-free in Canada and the United States
001-800-514-6868, toll-free in Mexico
613-949-7502, from anywhere in the world (collect calls accepted)
For people who are deaf or hard of hearing: TTY 1-800-361-8935, toll-free in Canada and the United States
E-mail: svrenq@elections.ca
Web site: www.elections.ca
