Elections Canada

Ticking the “Yes” boxes in the Elections Canada section is an easy way to keep your voter registration up to date, if you are qualified to vote.

Elections Canada will use the information you provide to update the National Register of Electors (the Register), the data-base of Canadian citizens qualified to vote in federal elections and referendums. Elections Canada uses the information in the Register to prepare voters lists for federal elections and referendums, and to communicate with voters. Other uses of the information, permitted under the Canada Elections Act, include providing voter information to provincial and territorial election agencies for uses permitted under their respective legislations, and providing voter information (not including birth dates) to members of Parliament, registered political parties and candidates at election time.

Only persons who have Canadian citizenship and are 18 years of age or older are eligible to vote. Generally, you are a Canadian citizen either by birth or if you have obtained Canadian citizenship through the formal process of becoming a Canadian citizen (naturalization). If you are unsure about your Canadian citizenship status, see Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.

How to complete this section

These questions are optional. Whether you answer them or leave them blank will not affect your right to vote. The CRA does not use this information for the purpose of processing your return.

If you have Canadian citizenship, and authorize the CRA to share your name, address, date of birth, and Canadian citizenship status with Elections Canada, tick “Yes” to both questions. If you do not authorize the CRA to share your information with Elections Canada, tick “No” to question B. If you do not have Canadian citizenship, tick “No” to
question A and leave question B blank.

If you do not have Canadian citizenship, tick “No” to question A and leave question B blank.

If you tick "Yes" to both questions

• The CRA will share only your name, address, date of birth, and Canadian citizenship status with Elections Canada.
• If you are already in the Register, Elections Canada will update your information as required.
• If you are not yet in the Register, Elections Canada will accept this as your request to be added. They may contact you if they need more information before adding you.

Your authorization stays in effect until you file your next tax return. Until then:

• If you move and provide the CRA with your new address, the CRA will share it with Elections Canada (CRA updates Elections Canada monthly).
• If during the year you change your mind about the CRA sharing your information with Elections Canada, call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281 to remove your authorization. This will not remove you from the Register. To be removed from the Register, see Removal from the Register.

If you tick "No" to one or both questions or do not make a choice

• The CRA will not give any of your information to Elections Canada.
• You will not lose your right to vote.
• Elections Canada will not remove your information from the Register if it is already there.
• If there is an election or referendum and you are not already registered with Elections Canada, you will have to register before you vote.

Removal from the Register

You can contact Elections Canada to have your information removed from the Register, or to ask that your information not be shared with provincial/territorial electoral agencies that use it to produce their voters' lists.

Deceased persons

Do not complete this section for a deceased person. If you are completing a return for a deceased person who consented to provide information to Elections Canada on his or her last return, the CRA will notify Elections Canada to remove the deceased person’s name from the Register.

Contact Elections Canada

For more information visit Elections Canada or call 1-800-463-6868. Teletypewriter users can call 1-800-361-8935.

Forms and publications

• General income tax and benefit package - Guide, return and schedules

Date modified:

2017-01-05