What can voters do if they are unable to vote on election day?

Discover Canada records this in one direct sentence. The guide writes: If you cannot or do not wish to vote on election day, you can vote at the advance polls or by special ballot. The dates and location are on your voter information card. The two options the test wants are therefore advance polls or special ballot.

Two voting alternatives. Discover Canada commits to two options for voters who can't or don't want to vote on the official election day: advance polls (early voting at fixed polling stations on designated dates before election day) and special ballot (an alternative voting method, often by mail or in person at an Elections Canada office). Either option preserves the right to vote — voters never lose their voting right just because they can't make it to the polling station on the official day.

Voter information cards explain the options. Discover Canada notes that "the dates and location are on your voter information card" — meaning Canadians on the National Register of Electors get a personal card that tells them when and where they can vote. The card also lists advance-poll dates and special-ballot options. "The card lists when and where you vote and the number to call if you require an interpreter or other special services."

Vote-day flexibility is part of Canadian electoral design. Discover Canada writes that "voters can also choose to register in person at their voter registration office during a federal election" — meaning the system is designed to be accessible. Even those who don't appear in the Register can register on election day. So voting is structured so that any qualified Canadian citizen aged 18 or older has multiple paths to cast a ballot — advance polls, special ballot, election-day registration, or election-day voting at the assigned polling station. The voter information card, the National Register of Electors, and Elections Canada's neutral administration all support this accessible structure.

The question is testing whether new citizens know what voters can do if they cannot vote on election day. Discover Canada commits to two options: advance polls or special ballot. The right test answer matches that.

The wrong answer choices each get the rule wrong. "Wait for the next election" violates the right to vote. "Vote by email" is not in the guide as a federal voting method. "Lose their voting right" violates the constitutional principle that every Canadian citizen aged 18 or older may vote. Only advance polls or special ballot is the answer.