Who is entitled to vote in Canadian federal elections?

To vote in a Canadian federal election or cast a ballot in a federal referendum, a person must be: a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old on voting day, and on the voters' list. Discover Canada sets out these three conditions explicitly.

The voters' lists are produced from the National Register of Electors, maintained by Elections Canada, a neutral agency of Parliament. Discover Canada describes it as "a permanent database of Canadian citizens 18 years of age or older who are qualified to vote in federal elections and referendums."

Canadian law also guarantees a secret ballot — "no one can watch you vote and no one should look at how you voted." Family, employers, and unions cannot insist on knowing your vote.

Canadian voting rights are universal among citizens aged 18+. Discover Canada traces this expansion: women gained the federal vote in 1917 and 1918, Aboriginal peoples in 1960, and Japanese Canadians in 1948.

The right to vote is part of the Charter and is paired with civic responsibilities — including the responsibility to vote in federal, provincial/territorial, and local elections.