Have Your Say: How to Vote in the Federal Election
It feels like we just voted in an election (mostly because we did), but Canada’s 45th federal election has been called for April 28, 2025!
Vote on Campus
You can vote on campus on:
- April 13: 12 PM – 6 PM
- April 14-16: 9 AM – PM daily
For more information, please see: Voting Days.
How Does It Work?
Canada is divided into 343 ridings, each electing a local Member of Parliament (MP). Canada follows a first-past-the-post system, meaning the candidate with the most votes (even if not a majority) wins. The party with the most seats forms the government, and their leader becomes the prime minister.
📌 More about Canadian federal elections: About federal elections – Elections Canada.
📌 More on this year’s election: Canada’s 2025 federal election, explained.
Am I eligible to vote? 🗳️
You can vote if you meet all the following criteria:
- ✔ Are a Canadian citizen
- ✔ Are at least 18 years old on April 28, 2025
- ✔ Are registered to vote
How do I register? 📝
- ✅ Check if you’re registered to vote here: Voter Registration.
- ✅ If you aren’t registered, register online by April 22, or register at your assigned polling location either on an advance poll day or on election day.
- 📬 If you are registered, you’ll receive a voter information card in the mail by April 11, this tells you where and when you can vote.
Where do I vote?
If you’re studying away from your permanent address, but are still in Canada, you vote in the district of the address you consider home (where you ordinarily live). For some, this will be the address you live at when you’re at school; for others, it may be the address where you grew up or where you live when you aren’t in school. In either case, you must have an ID with that address to register and vote.
If you live at the address you are considering “home” you can:
- Vote on election day at your assigned polling location
- Vote at an advance poll at your assigned polling location
- Vote early at a participating campus from April 13-16 (Waterloo is a participating campus! You can vote in the SLC MPR or University Club on April 13 from 12-6, or on April 14-16 from 9-9 daily).
- Vote early (before April 22) at any Elections Canada office
- Vote by mail
If you live away from the address you consider “home”, you can:
- Vote early at a participating campus from April 13-16 (Waterloo is a participating campus! You can vote in the SLC MPR or University Club on April 13 from 12-6, or on April 14-16 from 9-9 daily).
- Vote early (before April 22) at any Elections Canada office
- Vote by mail
- Travel to vote in-person at advance or election day polls in the riding of their home address.
Either way, use the Voter Information Service to find where you can vote!
📬 If you’re an eligible voter on a co-op or study term outside Canada, you can apply vote by mail before April 22.
What do I need to bring? 📜
You need to bring a piece of identification that can prove your name and address. Find a list of acceptable pieces of ID here: ID to vote – Elections Canada,
Accessibility Options
Elections Canada offers accessible voting options, including:
♿ Home visits
📬 Mail-in voting
🛠️ Assistive voting technology
Why Should I Vote? 🤔❓
The federal government makes decisions that impact key areas of student life, including:
- 🎓Student funding – Canada Student Loan, Canada Student Grants
- 🌍 International Affairs – trade, international aid, foreign policy
- 🚆Infrastructure – railways, mail, housing
- 💼Economic Development – business growth, job creation, regional development
Read more about why it’s important for you to vote: Why Should You Vote in the Upcoming Federal Election? 🍁 – Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association.
