Advance polling for the 2019 federal election took place at UFV between Saturday, Oct. 5 and Wednesday, Oct. 9 as part of a recent initiative by Elections Canada.
Similar advance voting took place during the previous 2015 federal election, but the program only covered 39 post-secondary institutions. This time, a total of 119 campuses across Canada held advance polling. Students, faculty, and local community members were all able to vote at campus polls.
Gurvir Gill, the Student Union Society’s (SUS) vice president external, is running the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations’ “Get Out the Vote” campaign here at UFV, which encourages students to pledge that they will vote.
Gill said that on-campus polling would encourage students to vote by addressing potential students’ accessibility needs, especially considering UFV’s status as a commuter campus.
“If you’re on campus, then literally why not?” Gill said.
Canadians could vote at the campus advance polls regardless of which riding they live in by presenting two pieces of valid identification (or one if it is a driver’s licence or other government-issued card), at least one of which should include the owner’s address. If such ID is unavailable, you can be allowed to vote if you state your identity and address in writing and have another person vouch for you. Voter registration was possible at the campus polls, but Gill recommends registering to vote online beforehand to avoid delays or complications.
“I think it was easy, very in and out,” Gill said about the online registration process.
Gill also encouraged voters to become informed about candidates and their platforms. For those unsure about their decision, Gill said political surveys can be taken online which evaluate a person’s political priorities, and in some cases match them to a party or candidate.
“Politics may not be for everyone, but there’s no harm in educating yourself,” Gill said.
Members of the UFV community who miss the advance polling can still register and vote at their riding’s normal polling station on election day, Oct. 21, at select advanced polling stations from Oct. 11-14, and at any Elections Canada office before Oct. 15. Further details can be found at the Elections Canada website.
