Doing your taxes? Update your voter registration at the same time

“Coverage” represents the proportion of electors on the lists relative to the estimated total electoral population. “Currency” represents the estimated number of electors on the lists at the correct residential address relative to the estimated total electoral population. “Accuracy” measures the proportion of registered electors listed at the correct address. (IMAGE COURTESY OF ELECTIONS CANADA)

It’s probably the easiest way to make sure your voter registration is up-to-date: Elections Canada wants residents of Nunavut to tick a box on their tax return form this year.

On the first page of the federal income tax return, there’s a section that asks if you are a Canadian citizen, and if you want to share your name, address and date of birth with Elections Canada.

“We’re asking all Canadian citizens to tick yes, or to get their tax preparer to tick yes,” Elections Canada said. “It’s a really easy way to make sure your voter registration is up-to-date.”

Elections Canada uses updates from people who ticked yes on their tax forms, as well as updates from other information sources, to maintain the National Register of Electors, the permanent, continually-updated database of Canadians who are qualified to vote in federal elections and referendums.

When Nunavummiut agree to share their information with Elections Canada, that information is also passed on to Elections Nunavut, the agency said, so voters are registered for both federal and territorial elections.

Voter registration rates in Nunavut tend to be lower than average, Elections Canada said.

Across the country, more than 80 per cent of tax filers tick the box, while throughout the northern territories, it’s less than 50 per cent.