Will they allow you to vote this fall?

By Jim Gerwing

If you are planning to vote in the federal election this fall it will not be quite as easy as in the past. Perhaps you are used to bringing your voter information card to the polls, the one received through the mail, and a scrutinizer would check it and let you vote.

Not so fast now. The election laws have been changed, making it less convenient to pass through the line.

What you will now require is a piece of identification with your name and address and photo, like a drivers licence. Not many other documents have all three. Even a passport is not enough by itself because it has no address.

Elections Canada has a website that clearly sets out what other documents you need. For most people two such documents are enough. The list provided by Elections Canada is long enough that most people can easily supply the two that are needed, as long as you have proof of your name and address. Even people with no fixed address can vote if they get the right documents.

Voting is not just a privilege in a democracy. It is an obligation. It is serious enough that some countries, like Australia, which had experienced low voter turnout have passed laws to fine people who do not vote. If voters do not like any of the candidates they can choose to spoil their ballots. If a large number of voters do that, the politicians will take note.

Let us say that you are still confused after visiting the Elections Canada website or have spoken to people in the know. Here is a solution: go to the advanced polls with what you think is sufficient. If they turn you away, you have time to collect the appropriate documentation. It might be a bit inconvenient or time-consuming, but worth doing if you take your obligation as a Canadian citizen seriously.