Please note, your local candidates and riding may look different this election as a result of the 2023 Redistribution process. To find information on your riding, please use the tools available on elections.ca.
A candidate in a federal election is a person who is campaigning to be elected as a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP represents a group of electors (people who vote) from a riding. When you understand the perspectives and values of your ridings’ candidates, you can vote for the person that best represents your views.
Look for the candidates that will best represent you
It is important to understand what you want to see in government. You can find the candidate that will best represent you by determining what views, characteristics and issues are important to you.
Research the candidates
Once the election is called, you can visit the Elections Canada website to find a list of the candidates. You can also gather material from:
- An Elections Canada office
- Campaign/candidate websites
- Press releases
- Candidate debates
- Candidate speeches
- Television and radio commercials
- Printed materials such as pamphlets and flyers
Consider your values & your stance on issues
We all have different interests and values, and we want to vote for a candidate that will represent those interests in Parliament.
Think about key beliefs and issues in your life, community, and country. What do you want your government to address?
Some topics you may be passionate about can include:
- Accessibility
- Disability supports
- Childcare
- The economy/finances
- Education
- Employment
- Climate change and the environment
- Health care
- Housing
- Human rights
- Indigenous reconciliation and supports
- Immigration
- Military
- Taxes
Once you know what’s important to you, you can look and see what the candidates in your riding have to say about those topics and their plans if they are elected.
Think about what qualities you want in a candidate
Think about the characteristics you want in your ideal political representative.
Some examples of characteristics you may look for in a candidate can include:
- Honesty
- Compassion
- Confidence
- Works well with others
- Leadership experience
- Educational background
These are just examples. It’s up to you to decide how you feel about the candidates and what’s important to you.
How to reach out to candidates
Communicating with candidates can give you an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about their platform. You can also open up a dialogue about barriers you may face, share your perspectives, and discuss how the government can help you as a member of the brain injury community.
Candidates normally have mailing addresses, phone numbers, social media, and email addresses you can reach out to on their website. It’s important to say that you might not receive a response right away – or at all. Due to the volume of communications they receive and factors like how many people they have helping them, they might not be able to respond to every request. But it’s always good to try.
How to write a letter
Emails and letters are common ways to talk to candidates. Again, there’s no guarantee that they will see it, but it’s always good to send a letter if you have something to say.
Here are a few suggested strategies to write your letter and increase the chances it will be read [1]:
- Use the candidate’s proper title. Candidates don’t hold an official title, but they should still be addressed as “Mr.”, “Ms.”, Mrs.”, “Dr.”, etc. You can do research about how to address specific candidates
- Be clear and concise. Keep letters to a page or two, as longer letters will most likely not be read in their entirety
- Start with a brief paragraph introducing yourself
- Ask any questions you may have about their platform and where they stand on issues important to you
- If you wish to raise awareness about an issue, briefly explain the issue and your related concerns. Identify what you would like to see happen or if any solution is available and what action you would like the reader to take
- Indicate whether you would like a reply
- Check your spelling and grammar. Word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Documents have these tools included
- Be polite. A calm, friendly tone in a letter is more likely to get a response than a negative one
- Maintain a professional dialogue. This will not only give you more credibility but will increase the chance they will respond and possibly engage you in action. This does not mean you can’t comment on a policy or program they support but do it in in a constructive way
- Include your return address
Meeting with candidates in person
In some cases, you may be able to arrange a one-on-one meeting with a candidate.
You can also communicate with candidates by attending public events such as debates, meetings, and town halls. Attending these events can also help you understand where they stand on issues.
Prior to these events, don’t be afraid to ask for accommodations like a quieter area to sit. Although there is no guarantee that these needs will be met, it doesn’t hurt to ask. You can also ask for a:
- Livestream of the event
- Document of key messages from the event in plain and clear language
- Recording of the event to follow along at your own pace
- Listing of events that take place in the morning or afternoon if you get fatigued in the evening
- Transcript of the event if you have trouble following the dialogue
