This started as a comment in a related thread that was prompted by yesterday’s federal election in Canada --- but I thought the detail and the larger point deserved their own little spotlight.
You used to be able to just walk into a Canadian polling booth and tell them who you were without verification. It was on the honour system because -— the thinking went — =what individual would risk jail just for one measly little cheat-vote?
Things are now tightened up — verification of some sort is required, but the rules were devised to carefully do everything possible to not exclude any voters— even those without cars, even those who were quite poor.
One method of verification is to have another voter registered at the same polling station sign a declaration confirming they know you. No other paper is required. To prevent abuse, each voter is limited to validating just one other voter.
For those who cannot summon a personal “validator” and do not have any government I.d., the polling officers will accept any two verifications from the following sources (cut and pasted from the Elections Canada web site :
From a financial institution
- bank statement
- credit card
- credit card statement
- credit union statement
- debit card
- insurance certificate, policy or statement
- mortgage contract or statement
- pension plan statement
- personal cheque [with printed name]
From an educational institution
- correspondence issued by a school, college or university
- student identity card
From a health care facility or organization
- blood donor card
- Canadian National Institute of the Blind card
- hospital card
- label on a prescription container
- identity bracelet issued by a hospital or long-term care institution
- medical clinic card
From a private organization
- employee card
- residential lease or sub-lease
- utility bill (e.g.: electricity; water; telecommunications services including telephone, cable or satellite)
Letters of confirmation
- letter from a public curator, public guardian or public trustee
- letter of confirmation of residence from a First Nations band or reserve or an Inuit local authority
- letter of confirmation of residence, letter of stay, admission form, or statement of benefits from one of the following designated establishments:
- student residence
- seniors’ residence
- long-term care institution
- shelter
- soup kitchen
- a community-based residential facility
Additional pieces of ID may be added. We accept e-statements and e-invoices. Print them or show them on a mobile device.
This list of accepted ID is also available in multiple languages. For the list in other formats, such as Braille and audio, call 1-800-463-6868