Frequently asked questions

1. What is Vote by Mail?
2. Why choose Vote by Mail?
3. How does Vote by Mail work?
4. How does the voter cast his or her vote?
5. Why is the return envelope yellow?
6. What about voters who inadvertently misplace their kit, or who are added to the voters' list after the mail-out?
7. How can I be sure that people will not photocopy ballots, and vote more than once?
8. What if I have voters who will be out of the country at the time of the election? Should I set up advance polling?
9. Can the Vote by Mail process accommodate visually impaired electors?
10. Has Vote by Mail ever been successfully used in Canada?
11. To what extent are Municipal Clerks involved in the Vote by Mail Program?
12. Are there typically many spoiled ballots with a Vote by Mail election?
13. Is there a minimum volume requirement for Canada Post to handle production of my voter kits?
14. Am I able to customize the voter kits by adding our logos or unique text?

1. What is Vote by Mail?

   Vote by Mail is a method of conducting elections and referendums using the mail. It helps to eliminate the need for polling stations, advance polls, or proxy voting. Essentially, every mailbox is transformed into a ballot box. When voting is as easy as mailing a letter, more people are likely to cast their ballots.

2. Why choose Vote by Mail?
   • Improves voter turnout:

     Conducting elections through the mail eliminates many of the obstacles, which traditionally keep voters away from the ballot box. Voters can cast their ballot when it's convenient. They no longer have to worry about fitting it into their hectic schedules and bad weather is never a deterrent. Some seniors and people with disabilities will find it much easier to cast their ballots from home. In communities where much of the population is made up of seasonal residents, voting by mail allows these seasonal residents to cast their votes without having to travel long distances. Receiving their ballot at home allows people to vote in complete privacy.

   • Voters Like it:

     Research has shown that voters voting by mail found the method satisfying and convenient.

     • 91% of the voters surveyed who voted by mail found the method to be very convenient;
     • 96% of those surveyed who voted by mail were satisfied with the method;
     • 67% of all survey respondents agreed that voting by mail would encourage more people to participate in an election.

     Source: NFO CFgroup, 2000. The NFO CFgroup, one of Canada's leading suppliers of survey research, conducted research in selected communities that used Vote by Mail.

   • Costs can be controlled through:
     • Elimination of rental charges for registration and balloting centres.
     • Dispensing with the cost of holding advanced polls.
     • Reducing fees paid to registration, polling station and other administrative personnel.
     • Reducing costs for printing voter's lists and notices, advertising, telephones, couriers, travel and transportation.

   • Saves time coordinating many activities associated with traditional elections, including advance and proxy voting, securing, staffing and equipping polling locations and training election staff.

   • Election officials can better focus efforts at the centre of election activity and do not have to manage several polling stations.

   • Free from a long day spent working at polling stations, election staff is alert and energized when the critical counting time begins.

   • Secure
     • Double envelope system protects confidentiality of the voter.
     • Security of Canada Post's delivery network.

   • Supports the democratic process by making it easier for those who are entitled to vote to cast their ballots.

   • Working with Canada Post
     • Through its National and Regional Control Centres, Canada Post has the ability to monitor mail as it leaves the print site and once it arrives at the destination postal facility.
     • Canada Post team approach - Canada Post employees from varying functions all work together, committed to the success of the election.

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3. How does Vote by Mail work?

   Canada Post can handle most of the process for you. A Vote by Mail kit can be customized to meet your election needs. Proofs (samples) of the individual pages of the voter kit will be produced and made available to you for your review and approval. Once you have approved all contents of the kit, Canada Post will print, address and mail your kits to the voters on the voters' list you provide.

   Once received, the voter completes the voter kit as per the instructions and deposits their completed kit in the mail. Canada Post then delivers the completed voter kits, including the cast ballots, back to you. In your returning office, your established procedures will be followed. Ballots would then be counted as usual.

   It is important to note that you are responsible for ensuring that the components of your voters' kits conform to any legal and local requirements.

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4. How does the voter cast his or her vote?

   Step 1:	The voter reads the instructions on the personalized sheet provided.
   Step 2:	The voter fills in the ballot, inserts it into the inner secrecy envelope and seals the envelope.
   Step 3:	The voter signs the voter declaration form.
   Step 4:	The voter inserts both the declaration form and the sealed inner secrecy envelope inside the yellow postage-paid return envelope and deposits it in the mail.

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5. Why is the return envelope yellow?

   The return envelopes are normally yellow. Yellow envelopes help give more control over the ballots being processed by Canada Post. The bright colour stands out in the mail stream, thus making these time-sensitive items easily recognizable. These coloured envelopes will also stand out more in the returning office's mail.

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6. What about voters who inadvertently misplace their kit, or who are added to the voters' list after the mail-out?

   You can respond to these voters with a blank, or unaddressed voter kit. Identical to addressed voter kits, these blank kits do not have the voter's name or address printed on them. Usually, a supply of these kits is kept at the election returning office. Typically, voters requiring these kits would be required to present themselves at the election office, and sign a declaration stating that they are in receipt of an unaddressed (blank) kit.

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7. How can I be sure that people will not photocopy ballots, and vote more than once?

   You will maintain control of your processes at the returning office. Typically, as return envelopes are received, the envelopes are opened, the Voter Declaration Form removed, and the voter is crossed of the voters' list. Once the voter has been stricken from the list, any future ballots originating from the same voter can be caught, and the situation dealt with. The Secrecy Envelope remains sealed, and is stored securely until retrieval for counting on Election Day.

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8. What if I have voters who will be out of the country at the time of the election? Should I set up advance polling?

   With Vote by Mail, advance and proxy voting are no longer required. Voters who may be out of the country during election time may make arrangements with election offices to have their voter kit forwarded, or be sent an unaddressed (blank) voter kit when such kits are produced. The timing and method of delivery for both the forwarded mail, and mailing of the returned, cast ballot will be the responsibility of you (the election official) and the voter.

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9. Can the Vote by Mail process accommodate visually impaired electors?

   As with a traditional election, election officials maintain control over local requirements. The standard Vote by Mail voter kit does not contain a Braille template. Canada Post will work with you to make changes in formatting and font sizes to determine if these needs can be accommodated.

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10. Has Vote by Mail ever been successfully used in Canada?

    Yes! Both at the municipal government level, and also by some commercial associations such as the Canadian Wheat Board and the Saskatchewan Party. Vote by Mail can be used successfully by all types of organizations needing to conduct an election. Canada Post can work closely with you to tailor a Vote by Mail voter kit to meet your election needs.

    Currently, provinces where Vote by Mail can and has been used are:

    • Ontario
    • Newfoundland and Labrador
    • Quebec
    • British Columbia

    A few examples include:

    1997 Ontario Municipal Elections: Twenty Ontario municipalities were the first to conduct their municipal elections by mail. Significant increases in voter turnout were reported - even as much as double! Municipalities reported more participation from seasonal residents than ever before. Municipal clerks and Canada Post worked closely together to develop forms and processes to best meet each municipality's needs. Canada Post played a very responsive and supportive role.

    2000 Ontario Municipal Elections: Seventy-five communities, representing over 825,000 Ontario voters participated. Canada Post continued to work closely with municipal clerks, officials from the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO), the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). Successful results were reported again, showing that Vote by Mail is no longer a new concept, but a proven success.

    2001: The City of St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador used Vote by Mail in their municipal election with favourable results. A municipality in Quebec, Ste-Antoine-de-Tilly, also used Vote by Mail municipally.

    2002: The Province of British Columbia used mail-in voting for a province-wide referendum, with over 2 million voter kits being sent out. Work is being done in other provinces across Canada to make this innovative concept a reality for more Canadians.

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11. To what extent are Municipal Clerks involved in the Vote by Mail Program?

    Given the expertise of Municipal Clerks in election processes, Canada Post involved interested Municipal Clerks in the entire Vote by Mail process at various times. For example, in the 1997 and 2000 Ontario municipal elections, Canada Post met as a working committee with many of the Municipal Clerks involved and reviewed the content, format and wording of the voter kit, as well as reviewed critical timelines.

    In Ontario, Canada Post also works closely with officials from the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) and the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).

    Canada Post is committed to working with the involved parties to ensure that election requirements are being met.

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12. Are there typically many spoiled ballots with a Vote by Mail election?

    According to feedback Canada Post received from a number of participating municipalities, spoiled ballots were certainly no more of a problem with Vote by Mail than in a traditional election. In fact, compared to electronic or telephone voting, there was an additional level of comfort because with a tangible copy of the ballot, the election official could show why the ballot was spoiled.

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13. Is there a minimum volume requirement for Canada Post to handle production of my Voter Kits?

    There is a minimum printing volume of 1,000 Voter Kits. If volume requirements are less than 1,000 Voter Kits, you will pay the price for 1,000 Voter Kits.

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14. Am I able to customize the voter kits by adding our logos or unique text?

    You may customize your voter kits by adding a black and white logo on the Voter Instruction / Declaration form, for no additional cost. Custom messaging is also available within certain areas of the kit; additional fees may apply.

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