Campus voting kicks off at more than 100 universities and colleges across Canada

An eligible voter holds a voter information card after it arrived in the mail in Carleton Place, Ont., Friday, April 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Students at more than 100 universities and colleges across Canada can now vote in the upcoming federal election on campus.

Campus polling stations are open Sunday from noon until 6 p.m., and will operate from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Elections Canada spokesperson Serge Fleyfel said the on-campus polling stations are part of the agency’s efforts to make casting a ballot easier for younger voters.

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“This is because, typically, this age group does not vote as much as the rest of the population,” he said in an interview Sunday.

Fleyfel said that in the 2021 federal election, 46.7 per cent of Canadians between 18 and 24 voted -- a turnout lower than any other age group recorded and well below the national average turnout of 62.6 per cent.

“So the idea is to facilitate the vote for young Canadians,” he said.

On-campus voting is open to all Canadians, not just students, Fleyfel said.

“Since it works for the students, it also works for the general population that lives around the school,” he said.

Early votes are taking place at post-secondary institutions in all 10 provinces, as well as Yukon.

Elections Canada says voters must bring their ID and proof of address, adding international students who do not have Canadian citizenship are not eligible.

Canadians will choose their next prime minister on April 28.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2025.