2021 polling stations fewer and farther between

Canadians may want to have a second look at their voter information cards as people are finding polling stations are fewer and farther between for the Sept. 20 vote.

The cards are now arriving in the mail. Because of COVID-19 protocols, many of the usual elementary school gyms or church basements are not being pressed into service for ballot booths.

“We have fewer places available to us. We need to make sure that we can provide for health and safety at the polls,” said Andrea Marantz, B.C. spokesperson for Elections Canada. “We need to have room for physical distancing. We have much fewer schools available to us this time.”

If there’s a concern that you have the wrong polling station on your voter information card, Marantz recommended calling the local returning office phone number listed on the card to double check. “There are some things that they may be able to do,” she said.

Voters will not be able to cast their ballots at polling places they have not been assigned to, either on election day or in advance polls, which are open from Sept. 10 to 13.

There will be no on-campus voting because the nature of a snap election does not give Elections Canada enough time to set up and process ballots cast by people outside their home riding.

“The student population is from all over, so they primarily would not be voting at home,” Marantz said. “It needed a great deal of infrastructure to be able to work and we didn’t have the lead time to get all of that ready.” • Voting by mail. For those who can’t vote in person, or don’t want to, there’s voting by mail. Voters must apply by Sept. 14. Details are on voter cards. You can apply online at elections.ca. You’ll receive a voting kit, which includes a ballot. Write the name of the candidate you’re voting for on the ballot, and return it to Elections Canada in the envelope that’s provided.