With just over a week left before Canadians decide their next federal government, advance voting is now underway in Windsor-Essex for residents looking to cast their ballot early. About a dozen voters waited for the doors to open at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 18, 2025, at the Willistead Coach House in Walkerville to cast their vote in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore. Eligible voters can visit their designated advance polling stations through Easter Monday.
According to Elections Canada, most residents should have already received their voter information cards at this point. “Electors should have received their voter information card by mail,” said Elections Canada spokesperson Nathalie de Montigny. “It will provide the information about where and when to vote.” Montigny added that those who have not received their voter information card by mail can still find their polling details by entering their postal code on the Elections Canada website using the My Voter Information tool.
“At a federal election, electors have to vote at a specific voting location, and we do not want to create confusion by providing a list of locations,” Montigny said. Voters also have the option to cast their ballot by mail, but must apply to do so by April 22. A special voting kit will be mailed to their address, containing forms that can be filled out and returned by mail. Elections Canada stated that mail-in ballots must arrive in Ottawa by 6 p.m. on April 28 to be counted.
Advance polling stations opened on April 18 and will run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day until Monday, April 21, 2025. Election Day is set for Monday, April 28, 2025. Residents can contact their local Elections Canada office for assistance. For Windsor West, the contact number is 1-866-715-5110; for Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore, it’s 1-866-715-1553; for Essex, it’s 1-866-238-7102; and for Chatham-Kent—Leamington, it’s 1-866-238-6834.
Advance polls are open across Canada from April 18 through April 21, giving voters four days to cast their ballots ahead of election day. Voting hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time each day. Anyone in line before polls close will be allowed to vote. Eligible voters should have received a voter information card from Elections Canada in the mail, which includes the assigned advance voting location.
Federal voting rules require voters to use the specific advance polling location listed on their card; you cannot vote at a more convenient location. If you did not receive a voter card, you can find your assigned advance voting station using Elections Canada’s Voter Information Service. Voters unable to attend either advance polls or vote on election day have an alternative: they can cast their ballot at any Elections Canada office across the country until 6 p.m. on April 22, 2025.
There are approximately 500 offices open for this purpose, but voting at an Elections Canada office involves a different process. Instead of a printed list of candidates in your riding, you’ll receive a blank special ballot and will need to write in the name of your chosen candidate. Elections Canada advises that voting is busiest between 10 a.m. and noon, with crowds tapering off after 4 p.m., making early morning or late afternoon the best times to avoid long waits.
Voters should also be aware that taking a photo of your completed ballot is illegal under the Canada Elections Act, as it violates the secrecy of the vote. Sharing such images online or in person also constitutes a violation. If you want to share that you voted, Elections Canada suggests taking a picture outside the polling station or with the “I voted” sticker, but keep the ballot private.
In Mission, advance voting also opened on April 18 and will continue through April 21, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Electors must vote only at their assigned polling place, which can be found on the back of their voter information card, by visiting elections.ca, or by calling 1-800-463-6868. To vote, electors must prove their identity and address, with a list of accepted ID available online.
Another early-voting option is to vote at any Elections Canada office by April 22 at 6 p.m. The office in Mission can be found at Mission Shopping Plaza at 7178 Horne Street, and is open seven days a week: Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Residents can also vote by mail using the special ballot process, with the deadline to apply being April 22, and the marked ballot must be returned by election day, April 28.
Confirmed candidates for the Mission-Matsqui-Abbotsford riding include incumbent Brad Vis for the Conservative Party of Canada, Jules Côté for the New Democratic Party, Jeff Howe for the Liberal Party of Canada, John Kidder for the Green Party of Canada, and Kevin Sinclair for the People's Party of Canada. In the Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge riding, candidates include incumbent Marc Dalton for the Conservative Party of Canada, Peter Buddle for the Rhinocéros Party, Daniel Heydenrych for the New Democratic Party, Chris Lehner for the People's Party of Canada, and Angie Rowell for the Liberal Party of Canada.
In Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee, advance voting also began on April 18 and will continue through April 21, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Electors must vote only at their assigned polling place. Another early-voting option is to vote at any Elections Canada office by April 22, 2025, at 6 p.m. The offices are open seven days a week, and the deadline to apply to vote by special ballot is April 22, with the marked ballot due by election day.
Candidates running in Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee include Scott Anderson for the Conservative Party, Leah Main for the NDP, Blair Visshcer for the Green Party, and Anna Warwick Sears for the Liberal Party.
