Federal election advance polling begins today, continues through long weekend

Advance polling for the 45th federal election begins Friday.

Polls will run Friday to Monday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST. Find information about where you can vote on the Elections Canada website.

On Tuesday, there will be voting in hospitals and other acute care facilities, as well as by special ballot at Elections Canada offices. Tuesday is also the deadline to apply to vote by mail.

So far, there have been few ways to vote ahead of election day on April 28.

From Sunday to Wednesday, there were advance polls on campuses, a program meant to encourage younger electors to vote. In the past, people aged 18 to 24 have had the lowest voter turnout rates.

The program operated at more than 100 campuses this year.

There were also polls set up at military bases and units, as well as a chance for incarcerated electors to vote on April 16.

To vote, electors need to show identification. For more information on which ID will work, visit the Elections Canada website.

In an interview with CBC, University of Saskatchewan assistant political professor Daniel Westlake said it's difficult to assess how voter turnout can affect the election ahead of the results.

"The people we probably know the least about are people that don't go and vote, tend not to answer surveys either," he said.

"I guess the thing to say is that for any kind of issue, the closer the riding, the more these kinds of things on the margin will matter."