Once your Special Ballot application has been processed and a Special Ballot kit has been issued to you, you can no longer vote at the advance or regular polls. You are deemed to have “voted”.
Remember, it is your responsibility to meet all established deadlines.
What is Special Ballot Voting?
Special Ballot voting is an early voting opportunity for electors to cast their vote in-person at any Elections NL office instead of going to the polls.
Who can vote by Special Ballot?
Any eligible elector can vote by Special Ballot. To be eligible to vote you must be:
- a Canadian citizen
- at least 18 years old on polling day
- an ordinary resident of the province the day before polling day
Are there extra steps I need to take to vote in-person by Special Ballot?
Yes. When you arrive at the Elections NL office you must first complete a Special Ballot application form. When your application form is complete an Election Official will process your form and verify your identification. You will then receive a Special Ballot, a blue declaration form, a green secrecy envelope, and a set of instructions for completing your Special Ballot kit.
Once you have selected your candidate of choice, place your Special Ballot in the green secrecy envelope and seal it. Then place the green secrecy envelope inside the blue declaration envelope and seal it. Then sign and date your blue declaration envelope and return it to the Election Official. The Election Official will verify that your signature is on the blue declaration envelope, record your Special Ballot kit as being received, then you can place it into the ballot box.
Where can I vote in-person by Special Ballot? Do I have to vote in my district?
You can vote in-person by Special Ballot at any Elections NL office. You do not need to be a resident of the electoral district the office is located in.
What type of ballot is a Special Ballot?
There are two types of ballots used for Special Ballot voting; a regular ballot and a write in ballot.
Regular ballots are the same as ballots used at the polls and have the names of the candidates already printed on the ballot. You may receive this type of ballot if you are voting at an Elections NL office located in your electoral district.
Write-in ballots have a blank space to write the name of the candidate you’re voting for. A listing of candidates is available if you do not know who the candidates are in your district. If you have a write-in ballot you must write the name of the candidate in the blank space provided.
I’m not sure who the candidates are in my district. Can I just vote for the party?
No. You must write the name of the candidate you are voting for in the space provided on your write-in ballot. A listing of candidates is provided at the voting booth.
If you only write the name of the party on your ballot, and no candidate name, then your vote will not count.
I applied to vote by Special Ballot. Can I still vote at the polls?
No. Once your Special Ballot application has been processed and a Special Ballot kit has been issued to you, you can no longer vote at the advance or regular polls. You are deemed to have “voted”.
Remember, it is your responsibility to meet all established deadlines.