This may be your first opportunity to vote in a federal election. Or perhaps it is the first time you will have to vote from outside of your electoral district.

To avoid a lack of knowledge preventing you from having your say, here are the guidelines for voting in a Canadian federal election.

Election Date: Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008

Are you eligible to vote?
To be eligible to vote you must be:
- a Canadian citizen
- at least 18 years old on Election Day

Are you registered to vote?
Everyone who is a registered elector will receive an information card in the mail from Elections Canada. It will be sent to the address that Elections Canada has on file as your permanent residence. If, however, you have recently moved or turned 18 years old you may not be on the list of electors.

To find out if you are registered go to elections.ca and follow the “Am I on the list of electors?” link for instructions.

Finding your electoral district
Each voter must fill out a ballot specific to their electoral district. If you are unsure which riding you belong to, enter the postal code of your ordinary residence into the “Voter Information Service” search on the Elections Canada homepage. The search will provide the name of your electoral district and where the polling stations are for your area.

Voting in person
You are able to vote in person if you can get to a polling station in your electoral district on Election Day or on one of the advance voting dates:

Friday, Oct. 3
Saturday, Oct. 4
Monday, Oct. 6

A list of polling stations for your electoral district are listed on the registered voters information card.

Proving your identity
In order to receive a ballot, you must prove your identity and address. There are three ways to do so:
1. Provide one piece of government-issued photo ID that includes your name and address
2. Provide two pieces of ID authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada; both must include your name and at least one must include your address. For a list of what qualifies, go to the “Voter Identification at the Polls” link on the Elections Canada homepage.
3. Be vouched for by a registered voter from your electoral district who is able to provide acceptable ID; both persons will be required to swear an oath

Voting by mail
If you cannot be in your electoral district on Election Day or any of the advance polling dates, you can vote by special ballot through the mail.

Follow the “I’m Mailing my Vote!” link on the Elections Canada homepage for complete instructions.

Important Note: Your application for the special ballot must arrive in Ottawa by 6 p.m. EST on Oct. 7, 2008, or you may bring it to any Elections Canada office by 6 p.m. of that day. Your completed ballot must arrive in Ottawa by 6 p.m. EST on Oct. 14, 2008.

For more information visit elections.ca.