The Right to Vote (5:VII): Difference between revisions
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→C. Federal Elections
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Canadian citizens who are 18 years of age or older on election day are generally eligible to vote in federal elections (s 3). | Canadian citizens who are 18 years of age or older on election day are generally eligible to vote in federal elections (s 3). | ||
While federal residency requirements do exist, they are more relaxed than those applicable to BC provincial elections. A person may vote only | While federal residency requirements do exist, they are more relaxed than those applicable to BC provincial elections. A person may vote only once, in the area in which they are “ordinarily resident” (s 8(1)). This is defined in much the same way as “resident” is defined in section 32 of BC’s ''Election Act''. A person who moves between the enumerator’s visit and the day of the election could be forced to vote in the former riding if ordinarily resident there when the enumeration occurred. | ||
All voters must present one piece of government-issued ID with a photograph and residential address before being allowed to vote (s 143(2)(a)). If a voter cannot provide the required photo ID, they may still be allowed to vote if they do one of two things (s 143(2)(b) and s 143(3)): | All voters must present one piece of government-issued ID with a photograph and residential address before being allowed to vote (s 143(2)(a)). If a voter cannot provide the required photo ID, they may still be allowed to vote if they do one of two things (s 143(2)(b) and s 143(3)): | ||
:(a) Provides two pieces of acceptable identification to establish the voter's identity, at least one of which establishes the voter’s residence (a list of “acceptable identification” is to be published by the Chief Electoral Officer); or | |||
:(b) Provides two pieces of identification that establish the voter's name, and then establishes their residence by swearing an oath in writing that attests to where they live. The voter must also be accompanied by an individual who is '''registered to vote in the same polling division''', has '''proper identification''', and vouches for the person without ID under oath and in the prescribed form. An individual can only vouch for one person at an election, and an individual who has been vouched for cannot vouch for someone else. | |||
These requirements pose significant challenges to low-income individuals who may have no form of official identification. Further difficulties are created by the rule that an individual may only vouch for one other individual and the requirement that the voucher lives and is on the elector’s list in the same polling station as the intended vouchee. | These requirements pose significant challenges to low-income individuals who may have no form of official identification. Further difficulties are created by the rule that an individual may only vouch for one other individual and the requirement that the voucher lives and is on the elector’s list in the same polling station as the intended vouchee. | ||