Advance polling is now open across Canada. What to know
Canadians can cast their votes in the federal election this weekend as advance polling starts Friday, Elections Canada says.
Advance voting for the 45th federal general election will take place on Friday, April 18; Saturday, April 19; Sunday, April 20; and Monday, April 21.
Polling stations will be open from 9 am to 9 pm local times on those days.
The election itself is scheduled for April 28.
“Unlike in some provincial and municipal elections, in federal elections, electors may only vote at their assigned polling station,” Elections Canada said in a statement.
If you are unsure about where to vote, you can find out your polling station by visiting elections.ca and entering their postal code or by calling 1-800-463-6868.
If you miss the advance polling window, you can also vote early by Tuesday, April 22 before 6 p.m. local time at any Elections Canada office.
You can also vote by mail before Tuesday, by applying online and returning your special ballot by mail.
If the return envelope is addressed to your local Elections Canada office, you can also drop off the ballot in person at that office before polls close on election day.
Elections Canada said they are also hiring poll workers for various paid positions.
When voting in person, regardless of the day or place, you will need to prove your identity, but there are three ways to do so.
A driver’s licence or any other card issued by the federal, provincial or local government that has your photo, name and current address is the first option.
If you choose to bring two pieces of ID, Elections Canada has a list of acceptable ID on its website.
Lastly, if none of the above options work, you can vote by declaring your identity and address in writing and having someone from your polling station vouch for you.
However, Elections Canada stresses that the person vouching must be able to prove their own identity and address, and they can only vouch for one person.
Most Canadian citizens 18 years and older are eligible to vote and, according to Elections Canada, are already in the National Register of Electors.
But if you want to make sure that you get a voter information card in the mail, you can check the online voter registration service, call 1-800-463-6868, or visit an Elections Canada office near you.
Just make sure to have an accepted form of identification and proof of address to do so.
If you’re not registered but are eligible to vote, you can register online or at one of the offices. Elections Canada also makes it easy to register when you go to your polling station to vote.
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