Returning Officer for the Prince Albert riding Barry Hollick sets the scene for what will be a busy time for his team of hundreds of staff across 152 polling stations. Advanced voting runs Oct.11 through Oct.14 with election day on Oct.21. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

The Big Vote

Advance polling for election gets underway today

Oct 11, 2019 | 8:00 AM

Barry Hollick, a veteran of five previous federal elections for the Prince Albert riding, sits in his Elections Canada office on Central Avenue. He jokes that he’s the guy in the back without the windows, but you get the sense that Hollick sees all, and knows how to manage a big crew that will staff 152 polls across a very large geographical area.

Around the various rooms that are adorned with all sorts of colour-coded maps, there is a buzz of activity. Teams are laying out files and vote counting info, others are being given special training ahead of their visits to voters in hospital, there are people punching computer keys and others staffing the front desk or answering phone lines. This is how things are shaping up as Prince Albert and Canada continues with its 43^rd election.

“We hired 680 people to work at the polls and this year we could hire 16 and 17 year-olds, and we’ve managed to fill all our polls,” Hollick told paNOW. “At each poll there are supervisors and information officers to help you, and even if you’re not on the voters list you can still go and register on voting day (Oct.21) as long as you can prove your address.”

Advanced polling will run Friday Oct.11 through the Thanksgiving holiday on Monday Oct.14, from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Exactly where to vote is written on your voter’s card.

Hollick notes that while he’s expecting a steady turn out for the coming four days, his office has been taking voters since the election was called last month.

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“As long as you have proper ID and proof that you are a resident of this riding you can vote here,” he said, noting the office remains open for the public to vote until Tuesday next week when citizens can still pick up a mail-in ballot. After that, the last remaining chance to vote will be on election day, Monday Oct. 21. Polls are open 7:30 am until 7:30 pm on that day.

The qualification for voting in an election is simple. You need to be a Canadian citizen and be 18-years-old. And you must live in the Prince Albert riding to vote here.

However, as Hollick explains, even if you find yourself in this riding and you are from out-of-province, you can still vote.

“If you are from B.C. for example, you can come into the office and get what’s called a national ballot, as long as you cast that by Tuesday next week. That will be mailed to Ottawa and then put into the vote count in your own home constituency.”

It seems like Hollick and his team have all the bases covered to ensure everyone who wants to participate in the nation’s biggest exercise in democracy can do so.

Further details are available at the Elections Canada website.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow