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