#shiftthevote Federal Elections 2015

The federal election is Monday, October 19, 2015. Are you ready to vote?

In the last federal election, only 38% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 voted, while 80% of people 65+ voted. If young people voted at the same rate as seniors, 3 million more votes would have been cast.

Don’t let someone else decide who should run your country. Speak for yourself and #shiftthevote!

HOW TO VOTE

1. Make sure you are registered

  • If you have moved, have recently become a Canadian citizen, are voting for the first time or are a student living away from home, you may not be correctly registered to vote.
  • You can check by going online to www.elections.ca, going to any Elections Canada office, or calling 1-800-463-6868.

2. Have the proper identification

  • You must have a piece of ID, or a combination of IDs, that contain your name, photo and current address.
  • A list of acceptable IDs can be found at www.elections.ca.
  • Students living in residence can download a Letter of Confirmation of Residence at www.elections.ca.

Remember: this year the rules around ID are different!  For the first time in Canadian history, you will be asked to prove your current address. Check www.elections.ca for the acceptable ID requirements.

WAYS TO VOTE

1. By Mail

  • If you are away from your home riding, you have the option to vote by mail until OCTOBER 13. 
  • You must apply to receive a voting kit by either going online at www.elections.ca or going to any Elections Canada office.
  • Once your application has been processed, you will receive a voting kit.
  • Your voting kit, along with a copy of your ID, must be received by 6PM pm on OCTOBER 13, so don’t wait!

2. At any Elections Canada office

  • Go to any Elections Canada office before OCTOBER 13 to cast your ballot.
  • To find the nearest Elections Canada office, go online at www.elections.ca or call 1-800-463-6868.

3. Advanced Voting Day

  • Advanced polls will be open from 12PM to 8PM on OCTOBER 9, 10, 11, AND 12.
  • To find your polling station go online at www.elections.ca or call 1-800 463 6868.

4. Election Day

  • On OCTOBER 19, polling stations will be open for 12 hours.
  • To find your polling station go online at www.elections.ca or call 1-800-463-6868.

WHY VOTE?

Policy decisions made at the federal government impact your services and your quality of life. The federal government is the number one funder of social programs in our country. 

As students, our tuition fees and the amount of debt we carry is directly impacted by the federal government. The federal government is the largest financial contributor to post-secondary education through operating grants and the National Student Loans Program.  Federally, students owe almost $16 billion in loans, $10 billion of those loans are held by Ontario students.  Between 2011 and 2013, the federal government wrote off outstanding loans for almost 200,000 graduates.

Instead of addressing the student debt crisis through loan forgiveness, the federal government quietly increased the debt ceiling from $19 billion to $24 billion and authorized the Canadian Revenue Agency to work with the National Student Loan Program to crack down on delinquent accounts.