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Federal Election 2019 Voting On-Reserve

Learn about voting on-reserve in the 2019 federal election. Find out when, where, and how to register and vote, and how to increase accessibility to polling stations. Get information on new legislation and outreach efforts.

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Federal Election 2019 Voting On-Reserve

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  1. Federal Election 2019Voting On-Reserve Prepared on June 26, 2019 Presenters: Amber Potts, Mathieu Lisk, Brianna Wilson

  2. Federal Election 2019 - Voting On-Reserve Background: • The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is working in partnership with Elections Canada (EC) to provide research, outreach and liaison during the 43rd federal election expected in Fall 2019. • These efforts will focus on providing information and materials to First Nation electors about when, where, and how to register and vote should they choose to participate. • It also will focus on increasing accessibility to polling stations by doing outreach to First Nation band administrators along with Chiefs and Councillors to provide information on establishing voting locations and ensuring culturally appropriate electoral services. Prepared on June 26, 2019

  3. Federal Election 2019 - Voting On-Reserve Background: • First Nation voters on-reserve have historically had lower turnout rates than that of the Canadian general population. • The gap exists because various factors including: age, language, identification requirements, geography, socio-economic barriers and lack of accessibility to electoral services. • In the 2015 federal election First Nation voter turnout rates increased significantly to an all-time recorded high of 61.5%. This represented an increase of 14.1% from the 2011 election. Prepared on June 26, 2019

  4. In the 2015 federal election, the smallest gap was observed between on-reserve voter turnout and turnout among the general population since 2004. Voter turnout on-reserve increased by 14.1% between the 2011 federal election and the 2015 election. On-Reserve Canada 66.0% 70% 64.7% 60.2% 60.9% 58.8% 60% 61.5% 48.8% 47.4% 50% 42.4% 40.3% 40% 2004 2006 2008 2011 2015

  5. New Legislation: • In December 2018, Bill C-76 – the Elections Modernization Act was passed with the goal of making the electoral process more accessible by reducing barriers to voting. • Highlights of the legislation for First Nations, include: • reintroducing the Voter Information Card (VIC) as a piece of identification • reintroduces “Vouching” which allows a voter to vouch for someone else. Prepared on June 26, 2019

  6. There are now three ways to vote: • Option 1 – Show any government issued ID (federal, provincial, territorial or local) that has your photo, your name and your current address. • Example: Driver’s license • Option 2 – Show two pieces of ID with at least one containing your address • Example: Voter Information Card + bank statement OR Certificate of Indian Status + utility bill • Option 3 – If you don’t have ID • Example: Someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouches for you. (The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address and can vouch for only one person). • See the full list of accepted ID at: elections.ca Prepared on June 26, 2019

  7. Outreach: • In 2015 there were 43 Electoral Districts (ED) that were identified by the AFN as priority districts where access to electoral services – including polling stations, needed improvement on-reserve. These ridings are the same for 2019. • AFN will reach out to all First Nations 497 of the 43 ED’s: 3 in Newfoundland and Labrador, 3 in Nova Scotia, 4 in New Brunswick, 22 in Quebec, 111 in Ontario, 54 in Manitoba, 64 in Saskatchewan, 43 in Alberta, 150 in British Columbia, 16 in Yukon, and 27 in the Northwest Territories. Prepared on June 26, 2019

  8. In Your Nation: • In each ED the federal election is administered by a “Returning Officer” (RO) on behalf of Elections Canada. • The AFN encourages Chiefs and Councilors across Canada to contact the RO in their Electoral District to request a polling station on-reserve during the 2019 federal election. • In some EDs, the RO will also hire an Indigenous Community Relations Officer (I-CRO) to help disseminate information about when, where, and how to register and vote on-reserve. • Elections Canada is seeking to hire community members to help administer the election booth on and off-reserve. Employees only have to be 16 years of age to work at the polls. • Although the age of majority – 18 is still required to vote.

  9. For more information please contact: AFN: Amber Potts Director, Research and Policy apotts@afn.ca 613-241-6789 x 104 • Elections Canada: • Elections.ca • 1-800-463-6868 • TTY 1-800-361-8935 Prepared on June 26, 2019

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