Monday is election day in Canada.
Polls in the country's 45th general election open at 9:30 a.m. and will remain open until 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time, giving Canadians a 12 hour window to cast their ballot.
The federal election was called on March 23, launching a 36-day campaign that sent national party leaders crisscrossing the country to appeal to voters. The focal point of the campaign has been which party leader is best suited to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump and steer Canada through the economic uncertainty created by Trump's tariffs.
Ridings have seen a redistribution which has led to five additional seats up for grabs this election for a total of 343 seats in the House of Commons. A party needs to win 172 of those seats in order to form a majority government. There are three ridings in midwestern Ontario. They are Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, Perth-Wellington, and Huron-Bruce.
To be eligible to vote, you must to be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old. You will need to bring your voter information card and a piece of identification bearing your name to your assigned polling station. For those who did not receive a voter information card in the mail, where to vote can be found by entering your postal code on the Elections Canada's website or by calling or call 1-800-463-6868. Canadians not registered to vote can do so at their assigned polling station by showing proof of identity and proof of address. A list of IDs acceptable for use can be found by clicking here.
According to Election's Canada, the best time of day to vote is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., as the early morning and late afternoon and evening hours tend to be busier.
By law, everyone who is eligible to vote must have three consecutive hours to cast their vote on election day. If your hours of work do not allow for three consecutive hours to vote, your employer must give you time off without a loss of pay. However, your employer has the right to decide when during the work day to give this time off. A failure to allow an employee time to vote can result in maximum fine of up to $2,000, three months' imprisonment, or both under the Canada Elections Act.
A record-breaking 7.3 million Canadians voted in the advance polls held over the four-day Easter long weekend. That was up from 5.8 million people who chose to cast a ballot early in the 2021 federal election.
Preliminary results are expected to begin coming from Elections Canada shortly after the polls close. Those results will take several days to be formally certified.
CKNXNewsToday.ca will provide election coverage online and on-air after the polls close Monday night.