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Election under way in Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Anmore, Belcarra

Polls close at 7 p.m., time is running out to cast your ballot
Voters across the country will be casting ballots today.

With more than 140,000 eligible voters in the Tri-Cities, Anmore and Belcarra and some key issues about affordability and climate change in the 2019 federal election, polls in the riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam and Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam are expected to be busy today.

Between the two ridings, there are roughly 50 polling sites and half a dozen mobile polling stations at seniors’ care homes with elections staff busily checking ID and making sure ballots are cast properly.

In 2015, there were 54,968 votes cast in Port Moody-Coquitlam and 56,616 cast in Coquitlam-Port  Coquitlam, about 70% of the eligible vote, but we won’t know until the end of the night or later this week how many people took the time to cast a ballot this time around.

Still, if advance polling is any guide, this election is important to many people. Nation-wide, a record number of Canadians took part in early voting over the Thanksgiving long weekend, with a 25% increase in advance poll turnout compared to the last election.

But it’s not just voters who will be active in the election today.

Volunteers will be working hard to get out the vote for their particular candidate and party.

Across the Tri-Cities, voters will be reminded to vote and asked if they need help getting to the polls because, while the leaders may set the agenda, it’s the ground game that actually wins elections.

In Port Moody-Coquitlam, the candidates are Sara Badiei for the Liberals, Jayson Chabot for the People’s Party of Canada, Nelly Shin for the Conservative party, Roland Verrier for Marxist-Leninist, Bruce Watts for the Green Party and Bonita Zarrillo for the NDP.

In Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, the candidates are Christina Gower, NDP, Nicholas Insley, Conservative, Dan Iova, Veteran’s Party of Canada, Ron McKinnon, Liberal, Brad Nickason, Green Party, and Roland Spornicu, People’s Party of Canada.

For those who waited until today, Oct. 21 to vote, this guide is for you.

 

AM I ELIGIBLE?

You are eligible to vote if you are a Canadian citizen, 18-years-old or older on election day and registered to vote. If you aren’t registered, you can do so on election day with a combination of the proper documents listed below.

 

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

With a voter information card, you’ll still need to bring an additional piece of ID. Without one, you’ll need to prove both your identity and address in one of three ways.

The first option can come in the form of a valid government-issued piece of ID that includes your name, photo and current address — like a Driver’s Licence or Canadian passport.

Without a piece of photo identification, option two requires that you bring two pieces of identification, which can include such combinations as a voter information card and bank statement, or a utility bill and student ID card. Check out www.elections.ca for a full list of accepted ID.

Failing the first two options, you can still vote if you declare your identity and address in writing. You will need to have someone vouch for you who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station. That person will need to prove their identity and address and can only vouch for one person.

Elections Canada accepts expired pieces of identification.

 

WHERE CAN I VOTE?

There are 338 ridings across Canada, and odds are if you’re reading this newspaper, you likely belong to one of two: Port Moody-Coquitlam or Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam.

No matter where you are, each voter is assigned a specific polling station in B.C., open Oct. 21 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The address of your assigned polling station is on the back of your voter information card, which should have arrived in the mail by Oct. 4. You can also find it by visiting elections.ca or by calling 1-800-463-6868.

 

HOW DO I VOTE?

If you are voting on election day, the candidates in your riding will be listed on the ballot. Mark the circle next to your choice with a check or X, anything to make your choice clear.

 

WHO AM I VOTING FOR?

This being a federal election, you will cast one vote for a member of Parliament to represent your riding going forward. See our The Tri-City News Election Hub at www.tricitynews.com/federal-election-2019 for a full list of candidates and where they stand on the issues that matter to you.

 

STAY IN TOUCH

News reporters will be out with candidates, speaking to voters and gauging the political temperature of the battleground ridings of Port Moody-Coquitlam and Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam.

A variety of local coverage can be found at www.tricitynews.com — check out our FEDERAL ELECTION 2019 section under the page MENU — as well as regular updates across our social media channels.

Follow us on Instagram (@TriCityNews) to see photos throughout the day and on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/tricitynewsBC/ to join the conversation. We will also be active on The Tri-City News Twitter account (@TriCityNews.)

But sure to follow our team of reporters as they Tweet throughout the night: @DstrandbergTC, @GMcKennaTC, @mbartelTC and @StefanLabbe.

Follow along and contribute your Election Day photos on Twitter at #TriCityVotes. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of our print edition on Thursday for a full wrap up of local results.