A Look at Canada

Federal Elections

Key Words Federal elections Political parties Voting Electoral districts Candidates National Register of Electors Voter information card Ballot Polling stations

Canadians vote in elections for the people they want to represent them in the House of Commons. In each election, voters may re-elect the same members of the House of Commons or choose new ones.

Federal elections are usually held every four years. The Prime Minister may ask the Governor General to call an earlier election. According to Canada’s Constitution, an election must be held within five years of the last election.

Canada is divided into 308 electoral districts. An electoral district is a geographical area represented by a member of the House of Commons. The citizens of each electoral district elect one member of the House of Commons who sits in the House of Commons.

Canadian citizens who are at least 18 years old may run in a federal election. The people who run for office are called candidates. There can be many candidates in an electoral district.

The people in each electoral district vote for the candidate of their choice. The candidate who receives the most votes becomes the member of the House of Commons for that electoral district.

A member of the House of Commons represents everyone who lives in his or her electoral district, even the people who did not vote for him or her. Your member of the House of Commons is your link to the federal government. Your member of the House of Commons helps you by

• representing your ideas when new laws are being proposed;
• asking questions about the federal government on your behalf; and
• helping you if you need information from the federal government or if you have any problems with the government.

It is easy to contact your member of the House of Commons. To find his or her name, look in the blue pages of the telephone book under “Government of Canada.” Call the toll-free number under “Information on the Government of Canada.” Give your address to the information officer who answers your call and he or she will give you the name and telephone number of your member of the House of Commons.

You can also find out about your member of the House of Commons by calling Elections Canada toll-free at 1 800 463-6868, or if you have access to Internet, by visiting its website at www.elections.ca.

Your member of the House of Commons has an office in your electoral district. You can also write to your member of the House of Commons by sending your letter to:

House of Commons
Name of your member of
the House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

You don’t need to put a stamp on a letter you send to the House of Commons.

Political parties

Most candidates in federal elections belong to a political party. A political party is a group of people who share ideas about how the government should work. Some political parties have been around for a long time, but Canadians can create new political parties at any time.

Members of political parties hold meetings where they discuss their ideas and opinions. They develop plans for what they would do if their candidates were elected to form the government. The plans they make are called the party platform.

Members of political parties help to

• decide on the party platform;
• choose the party leader;
• choose the party’s candidates; and
• campaign for party candidates in elections.

Candidates who do not belong to a political party are called independents.

Voting

The right to vote is a privilege and a responsibility of Canadian citizenship. ~~~~~ Voters lists are produced from the National Register of Electors. ~~~~~ As soon as you are granted citizenship, you are eligible to vote. Make sure your name is on the National Register of Electors. ~~~~~ Once an election is called, you will receive a voter information card. ~~~~~ Your vote is secret. ~~~~~ For more information on voting, visit Elections Canada’s website at www.elections.ca ~~~~~ Your member of the House of Commons has an office in your electoral district. ~~~~~ The party with the most elected representatives becomes the party in power. ~~~~~ The leader of this party becomes the Prime Minister. ~~~~~ The parties that are not in power are called the opposition parties. ~~~~~ The opposition party with the most members of the House of Commons is the official opposition.

One of the privileges and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship is the right to vote. Elections Canada is the non-partisan agency of Parliament responsible for conducting federal elections and referendums.

You are eligible to vote in a federal election or cast a ballot in a federal referendum if you are

• a Canadian citizen; and
• at least 18 years old on voting day; and
• on the voters list.

The voters lists used during federal elections and referendums are produced from the National Register of Electors, a permanent database of Canadian citizens 18 years of age and older, who are qualified to vote in federal elections and referendums.

The National Register of Electors contains the name, address, sex and date of birth of each elector. Elections Canada updates the National Register of Electors through existing data sources, including Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

It is important to add your name to the National Register of Electors as soon as your citizenship is granted and you become eligible to vote.

When you apply for citizenship, you can check a box on the application form to show your consent to the transfer of your name, address, sex and date of birth to Elections Canada.

This information will only be sent to Elections Canada and added to the National Register of Electors if you check the box to show that you agree. The information can be used only for electoral purposes.

Eligible Canadians are also able to indicate their consent to being added to the National Register of Electors on their federal income tax form.

Once an election has been called, Elections Canada mails a voter information card to each elector whose name is in the National Register of Electors. The card tells you when and where to vote. If you require an interpreter or other special services, it tells you the number to call.

Even if you choose not to be listed in the National Register of Electors or do not receive a voter information card, you can still be added to the voters list right up to election day. For information on how to do this, call Elections Canada toll-free at 1 800 463-6868 or visit their website at www.elections.ca.

To vote either on election day or at advance polls, go to the polling station listed on your voter information card. An election officer will give you a ballot. The ballot lists the names of the candidates in your electoral district in alphabetical order.

Mark the ballot by writing an “X” in the circle beside the name of your chosen candidate. Next, fold the ballot so that no one can see how you voted. Give the folded ballot to the election officer, who tears off the ballot number and hands your ballot back to you. Then, either put the ballot in the ballot box or ask the election officer to do it for you.

Canada’s election laws say that your vote is secret. This means that no one can watch you vote and no one should look at your marked ballot. You may choose to discuss how you voted with others, but no one has the right to insist that you tell them how you voted.

Immediately after the polling stations close, election officers count the ballots, and the results are announced on radio and television, and in the newspapers. You can also see the results on Elections Canada’s website at www.elections.ca.

After an election

After an election, the party with the most elected representatives becomes the party in power. The leader of this party becomes the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and the party in power run the government as long as they have the support of the majority of the members of the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister chooses members of the House of Commons to become Cabinet ministers. Cabinet ministers are responsible for running the federal government departments. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet ministers are called the Cabinet, and they make important decisions about how to run the country. They also propose most new laws. Their decisions can be questioned by all members of the House of Commons.

If a majority of the members of the House of Commons vote against a major government decision, the party in power is defeated. The Prime Minister resigns and a new election is usually held.

The parties that are not in power are called the opposition parties. The opposition party with the most members of the House of Commons is the official opposition. The role of the opposition parties is to oppose or try to improve government proposals.