In less than a week Canadians will be casting their ballots for who will represent them in parliament, and form the government for the next four years.
Canada’s 43rd general election will take place on Oct. 21.
In the Lakeland riding there are seven candidates vying for constituents’ vote: Green Party’s Kira Brunner, Roberta Graham with the Veteran’s Coalition Party, Alain Houle is running for the People’s Party, Libertarian Robert McFadzean, Conservative Shannon Stubbs, Jeffrey Swanson of the New Democratic Party, and Liberal Mark Watson.
For the Fort McMurray-Cold Lake riding, electors have the choice between People’s Party candidate Matthew Barrett, Brian Deheer of the Green Party, Liberal Maggie Farrington, Matthew Gilks of the New Democratic Party, and Conservative David Yurdiga.
Before heading to the polls, returning officer for the Lakeland riding, Maureen Sullivan, said there are a few things voters need to remember to make the process go smoothly.
“They need to bring their voter information card and driver’s license to vote at the polls. If they don’t have that, there’s other information they need. For example, you can show two pieces of ID, both must have their name and at least one must have the current address.”
Sullivan added any kind of government identification will work, such as a passport, health card, government cheque or cheque stub, or a library card.
“Or, they can have someone at the polling site vouch for them. If your neighbour is there and they have their information, they can vouch saying ‘yes, this is my neighbour, and yes, they live at 5312 51 St.’”
Residents can only cast their ballot at the polling station their assigned to. That information can be found on the voter information card, by calling their riding office, or online at the Elections Canada website.
If you haven’t received your voter information card in the mail and need to register, Sullivan said not to worry.
“They can register the day of the polls, or they should be calling our office if they haven’t received a voter information card or the voter information card has a mistake on it.”
The only requirements to participate in Canada’s democratic process is you must be at least 18-years-old and a Canadian citizen.
On the day of the election, Monday, Oct. 21, polling stations will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Before the big day comes, Sullivan recommends being prepared.
“You want to make sure that you’ve studied who you want to vote for. You should come to the poll knowing who you want to vote for, that’s probably the key thing.”
She added that it’s important to be clear in your choice to make sure your ballot gets counted.
“An ‘X’ or a check mark is sufficient. As long as it’s clear and only one person is marked we will most likely accept it. If they write a person’s name in, circle the person’s name, or if it’s not clear, if they made two marks on the ballot, then we can’t accept it.”
To try to make the process as easy as possible for everyone to cast their vote, Sullivan explained all of the polling stations are wheelchair accessible, use both official languages, and there are supervisors on-hand at all times if there are any issues.
“Everyone should get out and vote,” she exclaimed.
To register, find your polling station, or for more information, voters can contact their local Elections Canada office. For the Lakeland riding, call 1-866-497-8895. If you’re in the Fort McMurray-Cold Lake riding, call 1-866-497-8893. You can also find everything you need to know online at elections.ca.
