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If you’ll be away on voting day, you can vote now

The polls are open at Elections Canada in Nelson
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Photo: iStock

Submitted

If you can’t vote at the advance polls and you will be away on voting day (Oct. 21), you can vote now.

In Nelson that means electors can go to the Elections Canada office at 570 Johnstone Rd. (the former school district office) and cast their vote any time before Oct. 15.

Voting hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, and 12 noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Electors can also vote:

• on election day on Monday, Oct. 21;

• at one of the advance polls, open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11; Saturday, Oct. 12; Sunday, Oct. 13; or Monday, Oct. 14;

• on select campuses from Saturday, Oct. 5, to Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, using the special ballot process; or

• by mail. Electors must apply to vote by mail before Tuesday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m.

Application forms to vote by mail are available online. They are also available at any Elections Canada office, or can be requested by calling 1-800-463-6868.

Electors voting by mail should plan ahead. They must allow time for their voting kit to reach them and for their marked ballot to return to Elections Canada.

Returning officers may also set up voting kiosks in locations where electors may not be able to vote using traditional voting options. This includes: electors working in isolated areas, such as mining and oil field camps or lighthouses; electors in acute care hospitals; or electors who observe cultural or religious practices that restrict them from voting on specific dates. Eligible electors who live in long-term care facilities can vote by regular ballot at a mobile polling station in their residence. For more information on this option, please contact your Elections Canada office.

To vote, electors must show proof of identity and address. The list of accepted pieces of identification is online at Elections Canada.

Voting and identification rules are different for incarcerated electors and Canadian electors who live abroad. Electors who are members of the Canadian Armed Forces can now vote at a military polling station established at their unit or base, or use one of the voting options listed above.

Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency that reports directly to Parliament.