A primer on the rules of Canadian voting

A few rules and curiosities about the coming federal election:

A voter must be a Canadian citizen and 18 years or older on election day.

An election campaign must last at least 36 days.

Polling day must be on a Monday, or the next day if Monday is a holiday.

Christmas cards and holiday parties and receptions thrown by candidates in an election period come under election expenses and advertising rules if they promote the candidate directly or indirectly.

The closing date for nominations falls 21 days before polling day. Nominations must be received before 2 p.m. on that day. Candidates are allowed to withdraw up to 5 p.m.

A candidate is required to pay a $1,000 deposit, to be reimbursed if the candidate’s official agent submits election expenses within the required time.

A homeless person can vote if he or she registers on the voters list by providing an official document bearing the elector’s name and signature and the address of a shelter the person has used for food, lodging or other social services. Alternatively, a homeless person can register on election day by taking an oath as to identity and residence, as long as another voter registered in the same electoral district vouches for the person.

Snowbirds vacationing in warmer climes and other voters planning to be out of the country on election day and during advance polls can register to vote by special mail-in ballot. Application forms are available from Canadian embassies, high commissions and consular offices, and can be downloaded from the website www.elections.ca or requested toll-free from Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868. The completed ballot must be sent in the envelope provided and reach Elections Canada by 6 p.m. Eastern Time on polling day.

The vast majority of electors appear on a permanent voters list. Somebody living at the same address as during the last federal election, June 28, 2004, is almost certainly on the list. People who have moved between elections likely had their new address updated by Elections Canada.

A new citizen who checked off the appropriate consent box on the citizenship application is automatically registered to vote.

Eating a ballot, or otherwise destroying, defacing or not returning it, constitutes a breach of the Canada Elections Act.