Decision day for Canada; Calgarians head to polls
It’s voting time, Calgary.
Eligible voters will head to the polls in Calgary’s 10 ridings as stations open across the city at 7:30 a.m. Monday. Polling stations remain open for 12 hours and are scheduled to close at 7:30 p.m.
Whoever forms government after Monday’s votes are tallied will have a significant task of building unity across the country, especially in light of increased feelings of western alienation and stark divisions over energy policy.
The most recent federal election in 2015 saw a majority of seats held by Conservatives, while the Liberal Party grabbed two seats.
“That was a real breakthrough because a Liberal hadn’t been elected since the ’68 election, and that was only one person,” said Duane Bratt, professor of political science at Mount Royal University.
Candidate likability, riding demographics and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s heightened popularity at the time of the election were the primary reasons for the breakthrough, according to Bratt.
In the 2015 election, Calgary Centre elected Liberal candidate Kent Hehr, who is seeking re-election, and Liberal Darshan Kang. Both candidates had formerly been Liberal MLAS in their areas before running for federal positions.
Kang, who is not running for re-election, resigned from the Liberal caucus in 2017 due to sexual harassment and assault allegations, finishing his term as an Independent.
Bratt said Calgarians have voted heavily for conservative parties in previous elections dating back to the 1972 election.
“It was always the most conservative of the conservative parties that would win in Calgary from 1972 to 2015,” said Bratt, citing a single seat in 2000 that went to a Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark that did briefly break the trend.
The following is information about who can vote, what to bring to polling stations, how to find polling stations and other election day details.
WHO CAN VOTE
To vote in the federal election, a person must be a Canadian citizen, be at least 18 years old on election day, and prove their identity and address.
WHAT YOU NEED
There are three ways to prove a voter’s identity and address, according to the Elections Canada website.
The first option is to bring a driver’s license or any other card issued by a Canadian government (federal, provincial/territorial or local) that has a photo, name and current address.
The second is to show two pieces of ID that have the voter’s name and at least one with a current address.
Finally, a person without ID can still vote if they declare their identity and address in writing and has someone to vouch for them, who knows them and is voting at the same polling station.
“The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person (except in long-term-care institutions),” says the website.
Expired IDS are accepted as long as it has the person’s name and current address.
For a full list of acceptable pieces of ID, visit elections.ca.
WHERE TO GO
On election day, polling stations are open in Calgary for 12 hours, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. A person’s polling station is listed on their voter-information card, visit elections.ca to find the station based on postal codes, or call Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868 or 1-800-361-8935.
People who haven’t registered to vote before election day can still register at the polling station.
To check if a polling station is accessible, visit elections.ca or call Elections Canada at 1-800-4636868 or 1-800-361-8935.
For those in long-term-care facilities, Elections Canada offers mobile polling stations in most residences. There are people who transport the ballot box from room to room if necessary. To find out if a residence will offer a mobile polling station, contact the facility administrator.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Do not take pictures or videos inside the polling station, or of a marked ballot. Election-day selfies can be taken with the yellow “Vote” posters outside the building.