Voter Identification Bill Becomes Law – Ensures Thousands of Canadians Do Not Lose Right to Vote

December 14, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Ottawa – Peter Van Loan, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, announced today that the Verification of Residence Bill received Royal Assent and is now law. The law ensures that Canadians, who do not have a civic address on their identification, do not lose the right to vote.

“The federal government took swift action to solve the problem of verifying the residence of voters who do not have a civic address on their identification,” said Minister Van Loan. “The Verification of Residence Bill, which is now law, ensures that legitimate voters will still be able to exercise their fundamental, democratic right to vote.”

In September, Elections Canada informed the government that approximately 1 million voters across Canada would not be able to vote because they could not meet the new identification requirements set out in the Canada Elections Act. Under the new identification requirements, voters must demonstrate their residence with a civic address on their identification.

“The government worked closely with Elections Canada, and in consultation with the opposition parties, to find a solution to the issue of verifying the residence of voters,” continued Van Loan. “I am pleased that the solution found is now the law of the land.”

The law will allow voters, in areas where civic addresses are not used on identification (i.e. only P.O. boxes, general delivery, or rural route), to use identification that contains a non-residential address to verify their residence as long as it is consistent with the information on file in the National Register of Electors. The same rule will apply to someone who vouches for another elector: if the address on their piece of identification is consistent with the information about the voucher on the list of electors, it will be deemed to prove his or her residence.

For more information, visit www.democraticreform.gc.ca.

For information, contact:
Michael White
Communications Assistant
Office of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
(613) 952-4930