Jon Dunbar is a copy editor at The Korea Times, as well as editor of the Foreign Community page and curator of the Korea Times Archive. If you have suggestions for possible articles, or wish to contribute articles yourself, contact jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr.
More Canadians in Korea need to register to vote by mail
An illustration of a special ballot / Courtesy of Elections Canada
By Jon Dunbar
As the date for Canada's next federal election draws nearer, time is running out for Canadians living overseas to register to vote.
Overseas Canadians can apply on the Elections Canada website to receive a voting kit in the mail. Registration remains open until April 22 at 6 p.m. Ottawa time, but with that date just six days before the election on April 28, that's cutting it dangerously close.
"We really urge people to apply for their special ballot as soon as possible," said Elections Canada spokesperson Diane Benson. "We need to approve your application, send the voting kit to you and you need to get it back to us by the deadline on Election Day. You have to take into account how long it might take to get through both Canadian and international postal systems."
To add your name to the International Register of Electors, you must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old on polling day, be living outside Canada and have lived in Canada at some point in your life. You need to show one form of identification, which can include a passport, Canadian citizenship certificate or card or birth certificate.
The riding in which you will vote is determined by your last address before leaving Canada.
Canadians who vote by mail from abroad receive a special ballot. The ballot is blank, so that it can be sent out before the list of candidates in your riding is finalized. Voters must write the first and last name of their chosen candidate on the ballot. The political party's name can be added, but votes that declare only a party will not be counted.
The voting kit includes a series of envelopes for the ballot. The largest is a return envelope that has postage prepaid, meaning you do not need to pay to send your ballot back to Canada. However, if the deadline is too close, it is advised to send it in express mail so it can be counted in time.
The Canadian Embassy in central Seoul is also accepting completed ballots for return to Canada. However, the embassy did not have a firm answer on the deadline for sending ballots there. An official recommended April 21, a day before voter registration closes, because ballots will be sent by DHL.
"All ballots received at the Embassy will be sent to Elections Canada, and voters must take in consideration the mailing time to Canada when voting from abroad to ensure their ballots are received by Election Canada before the stated deadline," said Leilani Min, media relations and e-communications coordinator at the embassy.
As of March 30, 57,749 voting kits have been issued to Canadian voters in 173 countries around the world. Almost half of them reside in the U.S., while Korea is 25th on the list. Only 336 have been sent to South Korea (and two to North Korea), as of Sunday. The number is expected to grow, but it accounts for barely more than 1 percent of the over 25,000 Canadian nationals said to reside in South Korea, according to the 2021 Canadian census.
"We will continue to process and update the number of international electors up until the deadline," Benson said.
"I think it’s the duty of every Canadian at home or overseas to vote but ultimately, it’s your choice, " said one Canadian resident of Seoul, who is an organizer of an online community for Canadians in South Korea. "Canadians overseas should know that the registration and voting process for us is much easier than you may imagine."
Visit elections.ca for more information and to register for an election kit.