OTTAWA — Canadians residing abroad are advocating for enhanced participation among overseas voters and expressing concerns that obstacles to voting could be influencing election outcomes. Timothy Veale, director of Grits Abroad, an organization that connects Canadian Liberal voters globally, highlighted that nearly five million Canadians live outside the country, with approximately 3.5 million eligible to vote. Despite this significant population, voter turnout among non-resident Canadians in federal elections remains alarmingly low, often in the low single digits.
Veale attributes the low turnout to various factors, including the reliance on mail-only voting, tight timelines, uncertainty regarding ballot delivery, and insufficient outreach by political campaigns. Daniel Scuka, a Grits Abroad member based in Germany, emphasized the need for political parties to actively engage Canadians living overseas and suggested that Elections Canada could do more to facilitate overseas voting. He believes that federal parties should recognize overseas voters as a potential asset in elections.
“I’d like to see a politician ask us for their vote,” Veale stated, noting that during the last election, there was a lack of efforts to connect with the five million Canadians living abroad. He argues for modernizing the voting system, proposing that Canadians should be able to cast their ballots in person at embassies, consulates, or high commissions, akin to practices in several other countries that allow online voting. Veale criticized the current electoral framework, pointing out that the 37-day election period does not accommodate the logistical challenges faced by overseas voters.
Referencing the cumbersome process, Veale commented, “If you get approval, then you have to wait for the ballot to be sent to you, then you have to send it back. And imagine having to navigate over 200 different national postal systems around the world.” He expressed confidence that enhancements could be made, stating, “We’ve seen how other countries operate and we can do way better than this. It’s just a matter of will, as I see it.”
According to Elections Canada, 101,690 voting kits were issued to overseas electors during the last general election, with 57,440 kits returned in time to be counted. However, 20,013 kits were submitted too late, and an additional 411 were returned with issues that prevented them from being counted. Moreover, 23,826 kits were either not returned or canceled by voters living outside Canada.
Matthew McKenna, a spokesperson for Elections Canada, conveyed that the agency utilizes social media to inform international voters about the registration process and to remind them of deadlines before and during elections. He added that international voters can register at any time, even outside election campaigns, and that ballots are promptly issued to all registered voters once an election is announced. Once abroad voters are registered, they remain on the list unless they return to Canada or request removal.
McKenna noted the chief electoral officer's reflections on international electors’ voting during a November 2025 appearance before the Procedure and House Affairs committee. He revealed that pre-registered international voters demonstrate a significantly higher ballot return rate than those who register during the election period. The chief electoral officer has recommended extending the minimum election period for non-fixed-date elections, a change that could alleviate issues related to international special ballots arriving after the deadline.
Under the current Canada Elections Act, the election period must last a minimum of 37 days and a maximum of 51 days. There is ongoing tension regarding the voting process for Canadians living abroad, with advocates pushing for reforms to enable greater voter accessibility and participation.
