What to bring

Every election in Canada asks you to prove who you are and where you live. The rules are close, but not the same, and ID that works for one election may not work for another. This lesson uses British Columbia as the example. The accepted ID lists are long, so this page covers the rules and links to the official lists.

Two sets of rules this fall. BC’s general local elections are on October 17, 2026, and the provincial election’s final voting day is October 24, 2026.¹ Check the ID rules for each one separately.

BC provincial elections

All voters must prove their identity and home address before voting. Elections BC gives you three ways to do it.²

One piece of ID: a BC driver’s licence, a BC Identification Card (BCID), a BC Services Card with photo, a Certificate of Indian Status, or another card from the Government of BC or Canada that shows your name, photo and address.
Two documents that both show your name. At least one must show your current address. Examples: a BC Services Card without photo plus a utility bill, or a passport plus a bank statement.
Someone vouches for you if you don’t have ID.

A few details that trip people up:²

E-bills and scans of paper documents are fine.
Handwritten information doesn’t count. The exceptions are a Confirmation of Residence form or a statutory declaration filled in by hand. A passport with a handwritten address proves identity, but not address.
The sex or gender on your ID doesn’t affect your right to vote.

Your Where to Vote card

Elections BC mails a Where to Vote card to registered voters. It lists your assigned voting place on final voting day and your advance voting options. You can use it as one of your two documents under option 2, but you don’t need it to vote.³

If you have no ID: vouching

Another person can vouch for your identity and address. The voucher must be one of these:²

A registered voter who lives in your electoral district.
Your spouse, parent, grandparent, adult child, adult grandchild or adult sibling.
Someone with legal authority to make personal care decisions for you. A power of attorney doesn’t count.

The voucher must show acceptable ID. You and the voucher each make a solemn declaration confirming your identity and address. A voucher who isn’t a relative or personal care authority can vouch for only one voter. If someone vouched for you, you can’t vouch for anyone else in that election.²

Federal elections

Elections Canada also offers three options.⁴

One piece of ID: your driver’s licence, or any other card from a Canadian government (federal, provincial, territorial or local) with your photo, name and current address.
Two pieces of ID from Elections Canada’s list. Both must show your name, and at least one must show your current address. For example, a health card and a bank statement.
Declare and get vouched for if you don’t have ID. You declare your identity and address in writing, and someone who knows you and is assigned to your polling station vouches for you. The voucher must prove their own identity and address, and can vouch for only one person, except in long-term care institutions.

Rules for the ID itself:⁴^,⁵

Only ID on Elections Canada’s list is accepted.
Expired ID is fine if it shows your name and current address.
Bring originals, not copies. E-statements and e-invoices can be printed or shown on your phone.
Your name and address must be printed, not added by hand.
A Canadian passport proves identity only, not address.
ID must be in English or French (Inuktitut is also accepted in Nunavut).

Your voter information card

Elections Canada mails a voter information card to registered voters. It tells you where and when to vote.⁶ It also counts as proof of address under option 2, paired with another piece of ID that proves your identity.⁵

BC local elections

Local elections run under different laws: the Local Government Act, or the Vancouver Charter in Vancouver. Each local government runs its own election and decides how voters register.⁷ Some use a voters list, either their own or the provincial one. Others only register voters on the spot.⁸

That choice decides whether you need ID:⁸

You’re already on the local voters list: ID isn’t required. You sign a declaration that you’re entitled to vote and haven’t voted already.⁹
You’re not on the list, or your local government registers voters only at the time of voting: you register right before voting, and that takes ID.

To register at the time of voting, you show two documents that prove your identity and where you live, and at least one must have your signature. If no document shows where you live, you can show two identity documents (one signed) and make a solemn declaration about your address.⁹ The Local Government Elections Regulation lists accepted document types, including a BC driver’s licence, BC Services Card, SIN card, property tax notice, credit or debit card, and utility bills.¹⁰ The Act doesn’t offer a vouching option.⁹

Some local governments mail voter cards with your voting location. They’re helpful to bring, but not required.⁸ Ask your city or regional district which system they use.

Side by side

	Federal	BC provincial	BC local
One photo card with name and address	Yes	Yes	No, always two documents
Two documents	Yes, both with name, one with address	Yes, both with name, one with address	Yes, one must be signed
No ID	Declare in writing, plus a voucher	A voucher, plus solemn declarations	No option. You can declare your address, but still need two identity documents
Card in the mail	Voter information card, counts as proof of address	Where to Vote card, counts as one of two documents	Voter card from some local governments, optional
Proof needed if you’re already registered?	Yes	Yes	No

See Can I vote? for eligibility and Ways to vote for voting by mail.

Official sources

Elections BC, 2026 Provincial Election and 2026 General Local Elections pages. ↩
Elections BC, Voter ID, 2026 Provincial Election. The page lists many more option 2 documents. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Elections BC, Where to Vote, 2026 Provincial Election. ↩
Elections Canada, ID to Vote. ↩ ↩²
Elections Canada, FAQs on ID. ↩ ↩²
Elections Canada, general and voting FAQs: “Your voter information card tells you where and when to vote.” ↩
Elections BC, Who Does What (local elections). The Vancouver Charter governs Vancouver’s elections; the Local Government Elections Regulation lists documents for both. ↩
BC government, 2026 General Local Elections FAQ, “When is ID required for voting?” ↩ ↩² ↩³
Local Government Act, s. 72 (registering at the time of voting) and s. 125 (requirements before a ballot is given). Section 72(3) also lets an election official accept other documents that provide satisfactory evidence. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Local Government Elections Regulation, B.C. Reg. 380/93, s. 3. ↩