FAQs about the Register of Future Electors

The Register of Future Electors contains information (name, date of birth, gender, address, and unique identifier) on Canadian citizens aged between 14 and 17 who consented to register with Elections Canada. Upon turning 18, eligible individuals will be added to the National Register of Electors to update the lists of electors for federal elections and referendums.

The Register of Future Electors was created on April 1, 2019. It was part of Bill C–76, known as the Elections Modernization Act, which received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018.

The Register of Future Electors contains information on Canadian citizens aged 14 to 17 who have consented to register. Upon turning 18, eligible individuals will be added to the National Register of Electors (the Register). Their information will be used to update lists of electors for federal elections and referendums.

The Register contains information on Canadian citizens aged 18 and older who are eligible to vote in federal elections and referendums. Elections Canada uses the Register to create lists of electors for federal elections and referendums. These lists of electors are also shared with political parties, members of Parliament, candidates, and provincial, territorial, or municipal electoral agencies.

Canadian citizens aged between 14 and 17 can apply.

If you are a Canadian citizen aged between 14 and 17, contact us, and we will send you a registration form by mail (with a prepaid postage envelope), email or fax. At this time, Elections Canada only accepts paper-based registrations of future electors.

You can also request to be added to the Register of Future Electors or update your address information by checking the boxes under the Elections Canada section of your income tax return form.

No. Registration is optional.

If you registered to be a future elector, once you turn 18, your information will be added to the National Register of Electors (the Register). Your name and address will then be included on lists of electors for federal elections and referendums.

Being on the Register means you will receive a voter information card by mail once a federal election is called. The card tells you where, when and the ways to vote. It also saves you time at the polls.

If you are eligible, your information will be added to the National Register of Electors. Your information will then be used to update the lists of electors for federal elections and referendums, as you will have the right to vote.

No. Under the Canada Elections Act, the consent of a parent or guardian is not necessary to be added to the Register of Future Electors.

Yes. The privacy of all information in the Register of Future Electors and the National Register of Electors is protected by the Canada Elections Act and the Privacy Act. Elections Canada makes sure that the information in both registers is kept secure and is used for authorized purposes only.

The information in the Register of Future Electors may only be shared with provincial and territorial electoral agencies that are allowed to collect future elector information and with which Elections Canada has an information-sharing agreement. Under the Canada Elections Act, future elector information cannot be shared with political parties, members of Parliament, or candidates.

To register, you must provide a photocopy of your identification documents. We accept:

• One piece of identification issued by a Canadian (federal, provincial, or local) government showing your name, photo and current address (e.g. driver's licence or ID card), or
• Copies of two identification documents. Both documents must show your name, and one must also show your current address (e.g. bank statement and health card).

If some of the information appears on the back of the document(s), you must photocopy both sides.

For more information, see the List of accepted pieces of ID.

Yes. We accept expired ID if it has your full name and current address.

To make changes to your information, contact us, and we will send you an update form by mail, email or fax.

You can also update your information by checking the boxes under the Elections Canada section of your income tax return form.

If you move before turning 18, you can contact us, and we will send you an update form by mail, email or fax.

You can also update your information by checking the boxes under the Elections Canada section of your income tax return form.

If you are on the Register of Future Electors and want to remove your name, please contact us. In your request, please include your name, date of birth, current home and mailing addresses, and signature.