Municipal and provincial and federal, oh my!

In Halifax, it’s hard to imagine a time in the last year when front yards weren’t littered with election signs. First the municipal election, then the provincial one, and now here we are again. Hopefully you have recovered from your inevitable voter fatigue and feel reinvigorated to get out there and cast your ballot for Canada’s new leader.

The rest were important but this one just hits different. Canadians officially head to the polls on April 28 and many people will wait to cast their ballots on that day. If that’s your route, go to Elections Canada and type in your postal code to find your riding, candidate and polling station.

But you certainly don’t have to wait for election day because there are other options available to you—including early voting. Plus, you get to skip the lines!

Here’s a breakdown of how to vote in the upcoming federal election.

Get registered

First things first, if you plan to vote (which, of course you are!), then you need to check to make sure that you’re registered to do so. Most Canadian citizens 18 years and older are eligible to vote and—according to Elections Canada—are already in the National Register of Electors.

But if you want to make sure that you get a voter information card in the mail, you can check the online voter registration service, call 1-800-463-6868 or visit an Elections Canada office near you. Just make sure to have an accepted form of identification and address with you.

If you’re not registered but are eligible to vote, you can register online or at one of the offices. However, Elections Canada also makes it easy to register when you go to your polling station to vote. You’ll get your voter information card by April 11 if registered, but you can contact the agency online or by phone if you haven’t received it by this time.

How to vote — and when!

Aside from election day, there are other options to cast your ballot, all of which apply as long as you’re a Canadian citizen who will turn 18 by April 28.

Advanced polls take place from April 18 to 21 — Easter weekend, for those who celebrate — and will be open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. local time. Locations can be found on your voter card or by searching on Elections Canada’s website.

You can also vote early at an Elections Canada office anywhere in the country by 6 p.m. local time on April 22.

The last option is voting by mail, a method the agency says may appeal to a student away from their home riding, those who live abroad, or if you won’t be in your riding for advanced polling on election day, but don’t want to vote at an Elections Canada office.

However, you have to be on the ball for this one and apply before April 22 to make sure there’s time to get your voting kit, fill out the name of the candidate and mail it back in the prepaid envelope, which has to be received by 6 p.m. Eastern on April 28 if addressed to Ottawa’s office or by the time polls close if addressed to your local office.

If you’re concerned your ballot may not make it in time to Elections Canada, you can also drop it off at a local office any time during the election until polls close on election day.

But don’t jump the gun

If you do decide to vote before election day, just know that candidates will continue to be confirmed until April 7 so you may want to wait for all candidates in your riding to be confirmed so you can make an informed choice.