VOTE – Everything You Need to Know About Voting Today

Published October 19, 2015 at 3:58 am

electionscanada

So today is federal Election Day and here is what you need to know about the polls.

What time can I vote?
In Mississauga and the rest of Ontario you can vote between the hours are 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Can I vote?
If you are a Canadian citizen, 18 years old and have ID then the answer is yes.

What ID should I bring?
Bring any government ID with your photo with name and current address. A driver’s licence, or two of the following government ID’s will work: your health card, passport, birth certificate, or other document from a long list available on the elections.ca website.

Even expired ID works. Just be sure it has your current address on it.

Did you just move and your ID is not updated?
No worries. Bring in a bank statement, utility bill or lease with your name and new address.

Don’t have any of these things?
You can show two pieces of ID and have someone you know take an oath and attest to your address you’re good. However, this person must show proof of identity and address, as well as being registered in the same riding.

Students can even bring in their student card and any school document with their address on it if living away from home. Even people without a fixed address can vote, using a Letter of Confirmation of Residence from a shelter or soup kitchen.

Your voter card is not your ID.

What if I don’t know what riding I live in?
Elections Canada has a handy tool on the elections.ca website so you can figure out your riding and the candidates.

What if I’m working while the polls are open?
According to the law – everyone eligible to vote must be allowed three consecutive hours to cast a vote on Election Day (yup, three hours). If your schedule doesn’t allow for that, your employer must give you time off.

Here’s Election Canada’s example, using the Ontario voting hours:

“If you live in a riding where voting hours are 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and you usually work from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., your hours of work will not allow three consecutive hours for voting. To give you three consecutive hours to vote, your employer could allow you to arrive late (at 12:30 p.m.), let you leave early (at 6:30 p.m.), or give you three hours off at some point during the work day.”

I have accessibility concerns; will I be able to vote?
Elections Canada provides larger voting screens to accommodate wheelchairs, along with magnifiers for people with trouble seeing and tactile/Braille voting templates for people who are blind.

Uber really wants you to vote!
First-time Uber users can sign up for a free ride to the polls — and back — as long as the fare each way is under $15.

More questions?
Just go to Elections Canada has a thorough FAQ page on their site.

 

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