# Ex-pat Canadian voters can now vote in Canadian federal elections

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-pat-canadian-voters-can-now-vote-in-canadian-federal-elections/827635>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 12, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-pat-canadian-voters-can-now-vote-in-canadian-federal-elections/827635 "2019-01-12T03:56:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-pat-canadian-voters-can-now-vote-in-canadian-federal-elections/827635/1 "2019-01-12T03:56:00Z")

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Federal Elections Act barred Canadians living out of Canada for more than 5 years from voting.

Supreme Court held today that the restriction infringed the Charter right to vote.

So, Canadopers living abroad, you now apparently can cast absentee ballots.

“Supreme Court of Canada guarantees voting rights for expats”

[https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4970305](https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4970305)

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**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-pat-canadian-voters-can-now-vote-in-canadian-federal-elections/827635/2 "2019-01-13T04:39:13Z")

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Did not know that there had been such a restriction.

What’s your opinion of the ruling, oh learned counselor? 🙂

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-pat-canadian-voters-can-now-vote-in-canadian-federal-elections/827635/3 "2019-01-13T05:57:27Z")

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How did it take this long? _Sauvé v. Canada (Chief Electoral Officer)_ was 16 years ago and it would seem to make it _extremely_ difficult to disqualify any adult Canadian citizen. Did this restriction just not get challenged in all that time?

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**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-pat-canadian-voters-can-now-vote-in-canadian-federal-elections/827635/4 "2019-01-13T07:37:44Z")

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Taiwan citizens living overseas were allowed to vote not that too long ago.