Federal Election Advance Polling Begins April 18th

The 45th federal election will be held on April 28^th and advance voting will take place on Friday, April 18; Saturday, April 19; Sunday, April 20; and Monday, April 21.

Advance polls are open each day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Unlike in some provincial and municipal elections, in federal elections, electors may only vote at their assigned polling station. Electors can find the address of their assigned polling station on the back of their voter information card, by visiting elections.ca and entering their postal code or by calling 1-800-463-6868.

Matt Richter, Deputy Leader of the Ontario Green Party who ran for MPP in Parry Sound – Muskoka in the recent provincial election, contacted 705BLACKFLY.COM about his nonpartisan campaign to encourage voters to participate in the advance polls.

“I have a lot of pride in our riding to carry on the momentum that we created in the provincial election of being a top riding in Ontario, and Canada for that matter, of voter turnout,” Richter says.

According to Elections Ontario, voter turnout in Parry Sound – Muskoka surpassed the provincial average, with over half of registered voters casting a ballot. An official breakdown of voting in the riding was published by Elections Ontario on March 2, 2025. According to the document, 46 436 residents voted. Richter is challenging constituents in the riding to have an even bigger turnout for the federal election.

‘I really want to stress that this is a nonpartisan advocacy campaign that I want to push forward,” says Richter. “And it’s all about getting the vote out, engaging our electorate, our constituents in our area to exercise their democratic right to get out and vote.”

You must be a Canadian citizen and 18 years of age on Election Day to vote. If you’re registered to vote, you should have received a voter information card in the mail by April 11th. Bring this card with you, along with accepted ID, when you head to the ballot box.

The card tells you where and when to vote, the accessibility of your assigned polling station on election day and advance polling days, how to request voting assistance in advance, and the address of the closest Elections Canada office where you can vote by special ballot.

If you didn’t receive a card or the information on it is incorrect, you may not be registered, or your registration may not be up to date. To check your registration and update your address, by April 22, 6 p.m.:

Use the Online Voter Registration Service; or
Call 1-800-463-6868 or 1-800-361-8935 (TTY) for assistance

To update your voter information, including your name:

Contact your local Elections Canada officeby April 22, 6 p.m.

You can also register when you go to vote.

The voter ID could be one of the pieces of ID used to confirm who you are such as a driver’s licence, or any other card issued by a Canadian government (federal, provincial/territorial or local) with your photo, name and current address.

Option 2 is to show two pieces of ID, and both must have your name and at least one must have your current address. For example, voter information card and a utility bill.

Option 3 if you don’t have ID, Elections Canada states on its website that “you can still vote if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you.

If you don’t know where to go, you can use Elections Canada’s Voter Information Service.