Monday is election day in Canada. Polls will open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 8:30 p.m.
Rejean Gauthier with Elections Canada said they will follow local public health guidelines.
“When you go to your polling station, all the people in there will have to wear a mask and some of them who deal with the public a lot more may even have face shields or be behind plexiglass separation,” said Gauthier.
A record number of mail-in ballots could be the deciding factor in who forms the next federal government.
There are some 27-million registered voters, 1.2-million of whom are sending their ballots in by mail.
Elections Canada said those ballots will not be counted until Tuesday, meaning a clear winner may not be decided Monday night.
“There’s a reason for that,” said Gauthier. “We want to ensure that people didn’t vote twice.”
They can do that by comparing the mail-in list with the one at polling stations, said Gauthier.
If you requested a voting kit and failed to mail it back, officials say your vote can still be recorded.
“You can always bring it to your returning office or you can actually bring it to your polling station, but remember, only the one polling station, the one that is on your voter information card,” said Gauthier.
Locally, there were 2,699 voting kits issued for Saint John-Rothesay, 2,244 for Fundy Royal, and 2,119 for New Brunswick Southwest. Those numbers include voting kits issued to electors in Canada and those living outside of Canada.
You can visit Elections Canada’s website to find out which riding you are in, where to vote, and who your candidates are.
That is where you will also find information on what you need to take with you to the polling station, along with the health and safety measures that are in place.
Electors must be registered to vote. Those who are not can do so at their polling place when they go to vote.
Unregistered electors can enter their information online, print a pre-filled registration certificate, and bring it with them for faster service at the polls.
To make the voting process easier, electors should bring their voter information card, along with accepted ID, when they go to their polling place.
Local advance poll numbers
Millions of Canadians already cast their ballots well before election day even arrived.
Elections Canada said an estimated 5.78-million eligible voters participated in advance polls.
That was an 18.46 per cent increase from the number of people who ahead of time in 2019.
Numbers in all three of our local ridings were up from the 2019 general federal election.
An estimated 18,279 people voted in advance in Fundy Royal, 15,005 in Saint John-Rothesay, and 13,830 in New Brunswick Southwest.
Advance polling took place over four days between Sept. 10 and 13.
Up-to-date coverage tonight
We will be keeping you up-to-date with all of the results after the polls close at 8:30 p.m. Monday.
From the party leaders to the local candidates, we will have all of the information you are looking for.
You will hear updates throughout the evening on-air and can find up-to-the-minute results here on our website.
You can also follow our Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest details.
With files from Randy Thoms.
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