Canada Elections Act (S.C. 2000, c. 9)

Marginal note:Establishment of polling stations

• 120. (1) Each returning officer shall, for polling day, establish one polling station for each polling division.

• Marginal note:Multiple polling stations

  (2) No later than 3 days before a polling day, a returning officer may, with the prior approval of the Chief Electoral Officer, establish several polling stations for a polling division if, because of the number of electors on the list of electors for the polling division, the returning officer believes it necessary for the conduct of the vote, and each of those polling stations is to be designated by the number of the polling division to which is added the letter A, B, C and so on.

• Marginal note:Division of list of electors

  (3) The returning officer shall divide the official list of electors for a polling division into as many separate lists as are required for the taking of the votes at each polling station.

• Marginal note:Certificate of returning officer

  (4) To each portion of the official list of electors that is divided, the returning officer shall, before sending the portion to the deputy returning officer for the polling station, append a certificate signed by the returning officer in the prescribed form attesting to its correctness.

Marginal note:Level access

• 121. (1) Subject to subsection (2), a polling station shall be in premises with level access.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) If a returning officer is unable to secure suitable premises with level access for use as a polling station, the returning officer may, with the prior approval of the Chief Electoral Officer, locate the polling station in premises without level access.

• Marginal note:Voting compartments

  (3) Each polling station shall contain one or two voting compartments arranged so that each elector is screened from observation and may, without interference or interruption, mark their ballot.

• Marginal note:Table or desk

  (4) Each voting compartment shall be placed on a hard and smooth surface and shall have in it a suitable black lead pencil for the use of electors in marking their ballots.

Marginal note:Polling station in adjacent polling division

• 122. (1) If a returning officer is unable to secure suitable premises to be used as a polling station within a polling division, the returning officer may establish a polling station in an adjacent polling division and all the provisions of this Act apply as if the polling station were within the polling division to which it appertains.

• Marginal note:Polling station in school or other public building

  (2) Whenever possible, a returning officer shall locate a polling station in a school or other suitable public building and shall locate the polling station or the polling stations in a central polling place, at a place or places in the building that will provide ease of access to electors.

• Marginal note:Polling station in federal buildings

  (3) A returning officer may require the officer in charge of a building owned or occupied by the Government of Canada to make premises in that building available for use as a polling station, and the officer to whom the requirement is directed shall make every reasonable effort to comply with the requirement.