Advance voting gets underway today in Montreal
Here's what you need to know if you can't vote on Nov. 5
While the general election is set for Nov. 5, there are a number of opportunities to cast your vote beforehand.
Montreal has opened its advance polling stations which will remain open into this week.
About 100 polling stations will be open for advance voting in the city today.
Here are your options:
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Vote in the advance poll today, from 12 to 8 p.m.
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Vote at the returning officer's office in your borough on Oct. 30 and 31 (from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or on Nov. 1 (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
- Check the reminder card sent to you by Élection Montréal for the address and exact hours of your station or go to their site.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you are voting in advance, Élection Montréal says.
While election day will see a total of 470 polling stations open, there will be significantly fewer stations open for advanced polling. That means there risks being longer wait times.
In 2013, 7.75 per cent of voters in Montreal voted in advance polls.
If you head out to vote before Nov. 5, remember to bring a piece of identification such as your health insurance card, driver's licence or passport.
Élection Montréal also suggests bringing your reminder card, although it's not necessary to vote.
Advance voting is also open in 900 municipalities across Quebec on Sunday.
How it works
Montreal has a total of 103 elected positions, including the mayor, 18 borough mayors, 46 city councillors and 38 borough councillors.
Not all boroughs vote for the same positions but your ballots are relatively easy to understand.
Every citizen who arrives to vote will receive a ballot for each position they need to vote on.
Let's use the Southwest borough as an example. If you are living in the Saint-Paul–Émard–Saint-Henri-Ouest district, you will receive ballots for the following positions: Montreal mayor, borough mayor, city councillor for your district and borough councillor for your district.
Make a date with CBC for election night this Sunday, Nov. 5:
Online: Get breaking news and live results at cbc.ca/montreal after polls close at 8 p.m.
On Facebook: Join host Debra Arbec for a 90-minute Facebook Live starting at 10 p.m. with results, analysis and reports from across Quebec.
On TV: Watch our live results show at 11-11:30 p.m. on CBC Television.
On Radio: Listen to CBC Radio One starting at 8 p.m. for a province-wide show hosted by Mike Finnerty in Montreal and Susan Campbell in Quebec City.
With files from the Canadian Press