BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
Provincial and Territorial Elections
General Information
Most of the provinces and territories have very similar legal frameworks surrounding elections. While all provinces and territories gather your personal information in the process of carrying out their elections, the information they collect and the way they handle it can vary from province to province. So, too, can the process of accessing or removing your personal information from their databases.
To understand what pieces of your personal information your provincial or territorial government has, how it’s used, and how you can control it, it’s important to understand the typical structure governments use to collect your information.
Specific details for each Canadian Province and Territory : Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Yukon
Quebec
Permanent List of Electors
Canadian citizens living in Québec are automatically registered to vote when they reach 18 years of age, their personal information is added to the permanent list of electors by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec. Registration is also available by mail or through an an online form on Élections Québec’s website.
During an election, in person registration is available.
Québec’s list of electors includes your: [s. 40.2]
- Name
- Address
- Gender
- Date of birth
Québec also supplements its permanent list of electors with information from:
- School service centres
- Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (unofficial English name: Québec Health Insurance Board)
- The Public Curator
- Elections Canada
- the Department of Citizenship and Immigration of Canada
Controlling your Personal Information
You have the right to have your name struck from the permanent list of electors in Québec [s. 40.6]. To do so, you must contact Élections Québec by writing them a short letter expressing your desire to have your name removed and attaching 2 pieces of identification. You can also request that the use of your personal information in the permanent list of electors only be used for provincial, municipal, or school elections [s. 40.6.1]. .
Sources
- Contact us – Élections Québec
- Election Act, CQLR, c E-3.3.
- Registering your name on the permanent list of electors or changing your information – Élections Québec
- How the list of electors works – Élections Québec
These pages were last updated and reviewed in the summer of 2024.
The information on these pages only contains general information and guidance; none of the information constitutes legal advice. If you have a specific issue that you believe is a legal problem, the best practice is to consult a lawyer.
The information is non-partisan, dynamic and ever changing. It is the result of FIPA’s research and public education programs.
If you note something that needs to be added, corrected, or removed, please contact us by email: fipa AT fipa.bc.ca.
