Incarcerated Canadians in correctional institutions or federal penitentiaries are heading to the polls today (April 16) to vote in the 2025 federal election. 

Eligible Canadian citizens in correctional facilities who are 18 or older vote by special ballot in the election, James Hale, a media relations advisor for Elections Canada, said. This is the same voting method used for active military members, those who live outside of the country or those who cannot make it to a polling station on Election Day and want to vote. 

A staff member at the correctional institution is assigned to be the liaison officer and will help individuals fill out an application for registration and a special ballot form and ensure they have information about who is running in their riding. 

As for what riding they can vote in, they have several different options, Hale said. 

"They can vote in either the residence that he or she had before they were incarcerated, they can vote in the area of the residence of their spouse, common-law partner, a parent, or dependent, they could also choose to vote in the place where they're arrested or you could choose to to vote in the riding where the court that sentenced you is," Hale said. 

When they first meet with the liaison officer before Election Day, the individual will designate which riding they want to vote in. 

The polling stations open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday (April 16) until "all those who wish to vote have done so, but no later than 8 p.m." Elections Canada sends two staff to each institution to run the voting station. 

According to Elections Canada, over  voted in the 2021 federal election. Statistics Canada reported that in Canada, and over 71,000 people were under community supervision, which includes individuals on probation, parole, and serving a conditional sentence. 

Voting at correctional institutions takes place 12 days before election day. 

Prisoners were not always allowed to vote

"Prior to 1982, there was little parliamentary support for ensuring that prisoners could exercise the right to vote. After 1982, however, inmates relied on the Charter to establish through the courts that they should indeed be able to vote. They began by challenging provincial election laws, where they had some success," noted Elections Canada. 

Hale said that in 1993, Canadians serving less than two years were allowed to vote, leaving those serving longer sentences ineligible.

This changed in 2002 when a federal inmate challenged the law. In , the Supreme Court of Canada "ruled that prisoners serving terms of two years or more could not be disqualified from voting, as doing so was an unreasonable limit on their right to vote."

"Denying prisoners the right to vote imposes negative costs on prisoners and on the penal system.  It removes a route to social development and undermines correctional law and policy directed towards rehabilitation and integration,"

Hale added that only one Canadian citizen, 18 years or older, is not allowed to vote, and that is Canada's chief electoral officer.