Day 38 — Election day — When can I vote today? Local times — Newfoundland: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Atlantic Time: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Eastern Time: 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Central Time: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Mountain Time: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Pacific Time: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

How do I find my polling station? The best way to find your polling station is to visit http://www.election.ca, scroll down a short way and enter your postal code in the voter information search box. Click the link ‘Where do I vote?’ to find your closest polling station. If you are registered to vote and have received a voter information card in the mail, the location of your polling station will be listed on your card.

How do I register to vote? If you are not registered to vote on election day you can still cast a ballot. While many Canadians are automatically registered, some are not. You can register by calling Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868. Or go to your local polling station on election day with identification. That can include: One piece of government-issued photo identification listing your name and address, such as a drivers license; or Two pieces of authorized identification. Both pieces must have your name and one must also have your address, such as a heath card and hydro bill; or Take an oath and have an elector who knows you vouch for you. This person must have authorized identification and be from the same polling division as you, such as a neighbour.

More information: More information on voting can be found here, here, here, and here.

When will the results be available? The Vancouver Sun reports, “The staggered voting times across the country mean that when the polls close in B.C. (7 p.m. PT — meaning across the country 8 p.m. MT, 9 p.m. CT, 10 p.m. ET, 11 p.m. AT, 11:30 p.m. Newfoundland), the majority of results should become available. But, while election laws prohibit the broadcasting of results before the close of those last polls, results may be available on social networking site Twitter as users have threatened to hold a tweet-in to protest the law.”

Seats at dissolution:
Conservatives – 143
Liberals – 77
NDP – 36
Bloc – 47
*155 seats needed for a majority or coalition government.

For Council of Canadians updates, analysis and commentary on this election, go to http://www.canadians.org/election.

Brent Patterson, Political Director, Council of Canadians
www.canadians.org

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Brent Patterson

Brent Patterson is a political activist, writer and the executive director of Peace Brigades International-Canada. He lives in Ottawa on the traditional, unceded and unsurrendered territories of the Algonquin...