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Registering and Voting in a Federal Election

Interested in helping your community members get ready for the next federal election?

Here are steps you can follow to help your community learn about registering and voting in a federal election.

Let us help you help your community!

Registering and Voting
in a Federal Election (PDF)

Inspire Democracy

Inspire Democracy is an Elections Canada program. It's designed to help community organizers spread the word about taking part in federal elections.

The Inspire Democracy program helps reduce information barriers by providing tools to engaged community members, such as you. In this way, Canadians can learn from people in their own communities.

This guide is part of our third toolkit. Two more toolkits are available to help you inform your communities about participating in federal elections:

All three toolkits are found on the Inspire Democracy website.

Overview

Elections are important: when you vote, you choose the person who will represent you in the federal government. This person will make decisions that affect you and your community. By actively participating in the electoral process and by sharing information about elections, your community's needs can be better represented.

As a community organizer, you have a role to play in getting your community members ready for the next federal election. We know that this election if called during the pandemic will be different from previous ones.  Members of your community will likely have lots of questions about the voting process and how to vote safely.   

The following journey map provides you with detailed information on when, where and the ways to register and vote in this federal election. As well, you will see some suggestions on activities and available tools.

Knowing all the options to register and vote in a federal election allows you and your community to create a plan so your community has the best voting experience possible. During a pandemic, things can take a bit more time. It will be more important than ever that members of your community plan ahead as deadlines may apply. Some will consider voting by mail for the first time, others may want to know about how to stay safe when they vote at their assigned polling station in advance or election day polls. Measures are in place to keep you and your community safe no matter how you choose to vote. Make sure you know your options to register and vote safely.

Let's get started!

Here are some guidelines to help you plan for your community's journey to the ballot box. There are five steps:

  1. Learn about the barriers that electors might face in your community
  2. Discover the tools to help address barriers to registering and voting

Read the Elector's Guidebook to Registering and Voting

  1. Make a plan
  2. Carry out your plan
  3. Tell us how it went