Senator tries to improve prison voting as inmates across Canada cast their ballots | CBC News (2025)

Dan Taekema · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 16, 2025 1:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: April 17

It's election day at prisons and jails across the country, and as inmates cast their ballots behind bars, aCanadian senator is trying to break down barriers so they can make an informed choice.

Twenty-three years after prisoners won the right to vote,Sen.Bernadette Clement visited nine correctional facilitiesto prepare a report about the challenges that still exist for elections held inside.

On Wednesday, she visited the Collins Bay Institution in Kingston, Ont., to observethe process firsthand.

"The reason that vote is important is because their stories are still being written," Clement saidduring an interview with Radio-Canada the day before.

Despite being incarcerated, inmates still want to advocate for the needs of theirfamilies, communities and the institutions they're in, according tothe senator.

"The right to vote is about that connection," she explained."[It's]about that continuing journey they want to have towardrehabilitation and reintegration."

Statistics from Elections Canada show 34,340 incarcerated electors — roughly 41 per cent — voted in the 2021 election, compared to a voter turnout of around 62 per cent for the rest of Canada.

Nearly 40 per cent of inmates cast a ballot in 2019 and just more than 50 per cent in 2015.

Party platforms, not campaign ads

"I would say the biggest obstacle around this right to vote is access to information," Clement said.

Inmates do have access to TV, but they're looking formore than political ads come election time,the senator said.

"They want to have unfiltered information," she explained."They want to be able to access platform information, or party websites, but they can't do that because there is no internet access."

Another barrier is where inmates vote, which isn't always straightforward. Whileplace of residence establishes the riding for most people, inmates don't cast a ballot based on where they're living.

Instead, Elections Canada accepts the first of the following places for whicha prisoner can supply a mailing address.

1. His or her residence before being incarcerated.
2. The residence of aspouse, common-law partner, relative or dependant. Other options are the residence of any relative of his or hercommon-law partneror spouse, or a person the prisonerwould live with if notincarcerated.
3. The place of his or her arrest.
4. The last court where the prisonerwas convicted and sentenced.

"[It]means that they can't vote on issues concerning their institution,"Clement said."They can't vote in the riding where they'll spend, many of them, many, many, many years of their lives."

A spokesperson for Elections Canada said after every election a report is submitted to Parliament on ways the voting experience can be improved, but it's up toParliament to actually make any changes.

Correctional Service Canada (CSC) declined an interview. In an emailedstatement, the department said it ensures offenders areaware of their right to vote and given an opportunity to do so by registering for a special ballot.

Elections Canada staff set up polling stations with complete lists of candidates at CSC facilities where prisoners can vote between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Candidates or campaign volunteers are able to visit prisons,provided they follow the rules,and can even arrange for a meeting room, where inmates can stop by on a voluntary basis.

CSC said those seeking officecan also leave campaign literature thatwill be shared in common areas, such as the library.

Long fight to win the vote

It took two Supreme Court challenges and nearly 20 years of fighting led byRickSauvé, a formerinmate at Collins Bay, to secure inmates the right to vote in 2002 regardless of the length of their sentence.

Clement said her report was inspired bySauvé, who has spent decades following his 17 years in prison working with organizationsincluding the St. Leonard's Society and Queen's Prison Law Project to advocate for inmates.

Sauvé said his family was always interested in politics andrecalledhanding out flyers to help his dad campaign for town council.

That passion didn't suddenly disappear when he started serving a life sentence for murder.

"All the things that concern people outside of prison are the same concerns that people inside prison have," he said, adding ascitizens, inmates have the right to vote and challenge their government.

"There's so many people in prison that already feel disenfranchised," he explained. "Indigenous people, people of colour, minority groups, they already feel they don't have a stake in society."

As for those who feel anyone who's committed a crime don't deserve a vote, Sauvé said prison isn't an "exclusive group," adding thatdenying people the chance to participate in democracy isan obstacle torehabilitation.

"If you keep telling people that are inside prison that they're not worthy to have those civil rights, you're telling them that they're not worthy to be in the community," he said.

Sauvé said there's a "buzz" inside during election time that "takes you out of prison" by allowing inmates to focus on politics and platforms.

"It made me feel … somewhat whole again when I got to vote," he said.

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