SK Association for Community Education – Voting Rights

Do you have a Voter Information Card?

If you are a registered voter, you will be sent a voter information card in the mail with the address of where you can vote. This place is called your polling station. The card will include the times that it will be open. If you do not get a voter information card, that means you are not yet a registered voter and must register if you want to submit a vote.

How to Register

You can register to vote online at elections.ca, by phoning Elections Canada, or at the polling station before you vote. The information officers will show you where to go to register if you choose to do it the day of voting.

Getting to the Polling Station

Pre-arrange for transportation to the polling station if you cannot drive yourself. The polling stations usually remain open for 12 hours so whatever time is most convenient for you to find a ride or take public transportation is suitable.

ID Requirements for Voting

One piece of government ID with photo, name, and address (driver’s license or Saskatchewan ID).

Two pieces of ID – one with name and one with name and address (Health Card and phone bill, Debit Card and bank statement, etc)

Take an oath – show two pieces of ID with your name and have someone vouch for your address – this person must have proof of identity and address and can only attest for one person – they also must be registered in the same polling division.

Assistance with Voting by Friends or Family

If you require assistance to vote, you can call Elections Canada to speak to someone who will help you make arrangements to allow a friend, support worker, spouse, common-law partner or any relative to assist you into the voting compartment and help you mark your ballot. This vote would be supervised by a third-party at the polling station.

The person accompanying you may not assist more than one voter unless they are a relative to you and the other person(s). They must also:

mark the ballot paper as told by you
keep your vote choice a secret
avoid influencing you in any way

If you feel that your assistant did not follow the above rules, contact Elections Canada.

Accessibility of the Polling Stations:

Although Elections Canada strives to ensure all polls are accessible, it may not be the case.

Polling stations are required to have level access, unless, under special circumstances, Elections Canada cannot find a location where this is possible in your district. Your voter registration card will show you whether your polling station has level access or not.

If it is not accessible, you still have options.

You can get a transfer certificate to vote somewhere else, or apply to do a special ballot in advance by mail. If you live in a group home, a mobile polling station may be available if the coordinators of your group home have requested one.

Transfer Certificate Option:

If you are a voter who uses a wheelchair or has a physical disability requiring you to need a level access poll, and yours is not, you are eligible to apply for a transfer certificate to vote at a different polling station in your electoral district. The application must be delivered to the returning officer or assistant returning officer (the person(s) responsible for organizing the election poll in your district) for your electoral district by you, your friend, spouse, common-law partner or relative.

Voting by Special Ballot:

You can vote by a special ballot, which can be done in person at the office of a returning officer, or sent through the mail. An application to vote by special ballot can be requested by mail, telephone, fax, or in person from the office of the returning officer, or downloaded from elections.ca. An application will only become available once an election has been called. You must register to vote by special ballot no later than 6:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before polling day and can send in your application by fax with a photocopy of a piece or combination of pieces of ID displaying your name, address, and signature.

If you are approved to vote by special ballot, this becomes the only way you can vote. You cannot vote at an advanced polling station or at the polling station on election day.

If you vote using a special ballot voting kit (which you can pick up in person or receive in the mail), it will include:

a blank ballot where you write the name of the candidate you want to vote for; this means you must know the name of the candidate, because they will not be listed on your ballot.
an unmarked inner envelope
an outer envelope identifying you and your electoral district, and a declaration that you must sign and date, stating that you name is as shown on the envelope, and that you have not already voted and will not attempt to vote again in the current election.
a return envelope
an instruction flyer

You can vote as soon as they receive your voting kit. After following the instruction flyer, you can then mail in your ballot or hand it in in person at the returning officer’s office.

by Saskatchewan Association for Community Living

SK Association for Community Education – Voting Rights

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