Students have the choice to vote for a candidate in their “home” riding or in the riding where they go to school. Students still only get one vote.
Student Voters
If a student from another province declares New Brunswick as their home and meet the qualifications to vote, that person can register to vote.
NOTE: NO ONE can be ordinarily resident in more than one province at the same time, no matter where they temporarily reside or for what purpose.
Other Qualifications:
All student electors must also meet the other qualifications to vote:
- be a Canadian citizen;
- be at least eighteen years of age on Election Day;
- have been or will have been ordinarily resident in the Province for at least 40 days immediately before the election; and
- will be living in the electoral district or local government on Election Day.
Bill is from British Columbia but has been attending a university in New Brunswick for the past two years. He went back to BC for the summer to work but is returning in the fall to resume his studies. He has made New Brunswick his home or “ordinary residence”. As long as Bill can produce identification showing his name, signature, and the residence in the riding where he is living, and signs the declaration confirming New Brunswick is his ordinary residence, he is eligible to vote and to apply to be added to the voters list in New Brunswick.
Sarah left her parents’ home in Bathurst to attend community college in Saint John. She is renting an apartment with two other friends in Saint John. Sarah has the choice to either vote for a candidate running in her home riding in Bathurst, or she can choose to vote for a candidate in the riding where she is living while attending school. She must produce identification that shows her name, signature, and the address of the residence in the riding where she is choosing to vote, and sign the declaration confirming New Brunswick is her ordinary residence, in order to be added to the voters list.
Josh is a first-year student from Nova Scotia who has come to New Brunswick to go to university. He arrived on August 25, a week before classes began. A provincial general election is scheduled for October 21. If Josh has chosen New Brunswick as his new home or “ordinary residence” and signs the declaration to this effect, Josh is eligible to vote in the general election because he meets the requirement of being “ordinarily resident” in the province for 40 days prior to the election.
Dana, a third-year student from Ontario, has lived in the province long enough to be eligible to vote but has not made New Brunswick their “ordinary residence”. They voted in their home province’s most recent provincial election and only considers New Brunswick their temporary residence while attending school. Dana is not eligible to vote in a provincial or municipal election held in this province.