Why Wait to Get Your Democracy On? Your Complete Guide to Advance Voting in Metro Vancouver

Election day is swiftly approaching and while casting your ballot is extremely important, the thought of waiting in line to do so can seem daunting or impossible to many. The good news is that you are not restricted to voting on election day October 21st. Advanced voting starts October 11th! You could be travelling, working, or just not up to leaving the house on the 21st, so why not get it out of the way ahead of time?

There are mixed opinions on advance voting as some people believe voters may not have all the information they need to make an informed decision before the campaign is over (Check out this iPolitics article). On the other hand, an article from The Washington Post points out that advance voting is very important for voters who may have additional barriers in place that restrict them from voting at a specific time. These include costs associated with voting such as lost wages, having to arrange for childcare, or pay for transportation.

All advance voting stations are open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm on the following days:

·      Friday, October 11th

·      Saturday, October 12th

·      Sunday, October 13th

·      Monday, October 14th

Each registered voter has been sent a voter information card with the location of their assigned advanced voting station. Voting stations have been chosen based on your address, not your postal code, so make sure to look at your card to ensure you have the correct location.

Make sure you have ID to vote! You just need your driver’s license or any other card issued by a Canadian government with your photo, name and current address. Don’t have one of those? You can also bring in two pieces of ID to verify your identity/address such as the voter information card you received in the mail and a debit card. Check out Elections Canada for the full list of accepted ID.

If the advance voting days/locations don’t work for you, you can vote in person at Elections Canada offices until 6:00 pm on October 15th. Here are Elections Canada office voting locations in Metro Vancouver:

Vancouver

• 747 Cardero Street
• 610 Main Street - Suite 300
• 4898 Main Street
• 8273 Ross Street
• Wawanesa – 1985 Broadway West –Suite 200
• Broadway Pacific – 2106 Broadway West

North Vancouver

• Capilano Mall (2nd floor)– 935 Marine Drive

West Vancouver

• 1868 Marine Drive – Suite 203

Burnaby

• 4567 Lougheed Highway – Suite 223
• Deer Lake Centre II – 1940 Canada Way – Suite 133

Richmond

• 4451 No.3 Road – Suite 211
• 4600 Jacombs Road – Suite 100

New Westminster

• 620 Royal Avenue – Suite 10

Coquitlam

• 1067 Ridgeway Avenue

Port Coquitlam

• Westwood Square – 3242 Westwood Street – Suite 204

Surrey

• 10025 King George Boulevard
• Surrey Central Business Park Building 3 – 7565, 132 Street – Suite 106

Whether it’s on election day or during advance voting, just be sure to get out and VOTE!

‍