How to get your voters' list in Canada

Step by step

1. Find your district. Know your electoral district (riding) for federal and provincial races, or your municipality and ward for local races. Your returning officer or municipal clerk can confirm it.
2. Order the matching list from your returning officer or municipal clerk. Get your nomination accepted first, then ask the office running your election for the list: Elections Canada (through its PESC online portal) for a federal seat, the provincial returning officer for a provincial seat, or the municipal clerk for mayor, council or school trustee. In most provinces you sign a written promise to keep it confidential and use it only for the election. Use the table below to pick the right list.
3. Get your file. An electronic file. Federal candidates download each list from Elections Canada's PESC portal as it becomes available: the preliminary list about 3 days after the election is called, an updated list 19 days before polling day, the revised list 11 days before and the official list 3 days before. Provincial and municipal offices send an electronic copy, and several provinces give a printed copy on request.
4. Upload it to CampaignKnock. Every voter goes on a map, grouped by household, so you and your volunteers can knock doors and log each conversation from your phone.

Which list to order

What's in the file

Who can order it

Tips before you order

• Ontario votes for mayor, council and school trustee on Monday, October 26, 2026. Certified candidates can ask the clerk in writing for their part of the voters' list any time from September 1, so ask now if you have not.
• In Ontario municipal races you must sign a written acknowledgment to get the list, get the same signed acknowledgment from anyone you share it with, and destroy every copy by the end of your campaign period (December 31, 2026 for most candidates).
• British Columbia's general local election is Saturday, October 17, 2026. If your local government keeps a register of electors, each nominated candidate gets one copy of the list of registered electors free after signing a statement. Not every BC local government keeps one.
• Quebec's provincial election is Monday, October 5, 2026. The returning officer sends candidates the list electronically at least 27 days before polling day, after you sign an undertaking to protect it. Candidates who lose must destroy their lists and send Élections Québec a signed attestation within 60 days.
• For a federal election, create your account on Elections Canada's PESC portal before you file. The lists appear there as soon as your nomination is confirmed.
• Ontario municipal voters' lists now come from Elections Ontario's register of electors, not from property assessment (MPAC) records.
• Voters' lists do not include phone numbers or party support. Collect them at the door and record them in CampaignKnock as you go.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Canadian voters' list cost?

Free for candidates. You order it from your returning officer or municipal clerk. Get your nomination accepted first, then ask the office running your election for the list: Elections Canada (through its PESC online portal) for a federal seat, the provincial returning officer for a provincial seat, or the municipal clerk for mayor, council or school trustee. In most provinces you sign a written promise to keep it confidential and use it only for the election.

How long does it take to get a Canadian voters' list?

After nomination. An electronic file. Federal candidates download each list from Elections Canada's PESC portal as it becomes available: the preliminary list about 3 days after the election is called, an updated list 19 days before polling day, the revised list 11 days before and the official list 3 days before. Provincial and municipal offices send an electronic copy, and several provinces give a printed copy on request.

Who can get a Canadian voters' list?

The public cannot buy Canadian voters' lists. Only nominated candidates, registered parties and elected members can get them, free, and a candidate may use the list only to communicate with voters during the election, including campaigning and fundraising. Commercial use is banned. Keep the list secure, share it only with people working on your campaign, and destroy it when the campaign is over. Misusing a federal list carries a fine of up to $10,000, a year in jail or both (Canada Elections Act, ss. 111(f), 487 and 500).

What is in a Canadian voters' list?

It includes elector name, residential address, elector id number (federal, bc and alberta lists), polling division (federal revised and official lists). It does not include year of birth, phone numbers (federal list), email addresses, party affiliation, voting history.

More voter list guides

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All state voter list guides · This guide explains how the process works. It is not legal advice. Sources: Elections Canada: Tools for Candidates · Elections Canada: Receiving Election Materials (candidate manual) · Elections Canada: Guidelines for Use of the Lists of Electors · Canada Elections Act, ss. 93-111 · Ontario Municipal Elections Act, 1996, s. 23 · Ontario Election Act, ss. 17.4 and 19 · Ontario: Municipal elections (2026 dates) · BC Local Government Act, ss. 52 and 77 · BC Election Act, s. 48 · Alberta Election Act, ss. 18-20 · Quebec Election Act, ss. 40.41, 40.44 and 146