County voters will get to mark their "X" next week as they head to the polls in this fall's civic election – one that many have gotten a head start on through advance polls.
Sturgeon County and Morinville residents will go to the polls this Oct. 21 to vote in the 2013 civic election. Gibbons-Lamoreux residents will also get to vote for a Sturgeon School Division trustee.
About 90 people marked their ballots at an advance Morinville poll held Oct. 9 at the town office, said town returning officer Jennifer Maskoske. "It's a good indication that there's interest."
If you missed that poll, you'll have a second chance this Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the town office, Maskoske said.
Sturgeon County held its first two advance polls on Saturday and Tuesday, said county returning officer Tom Lysyk. The third would be at the Sturgeon County Centre this Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m.
Sturgeon School Division held its first advance poll in Gibbons on Oct. 9, said returning officer Iva Paulik, and planned three more at the Sturgeon County Centre on Oct. 12, 15 and 17.
Election Day
County voters will cast a vote for one councillor and one mayoral candidate. Morinville residents will vote for six councillors and a mayor. These elections will be for four-year terms.
Provincial law now requires you to bring a piece of government-approved identification with you to the polling station to prove your identity, Lysyk said. "The norm is the driver's license," he said, but there's a long list of other approved items available on the Morinville and Sturgeon County election websites.
Voters will also have to sign a declaration declaring their eligibility to vote, he continued. To vote, you must be 18 or over, a Canadian citizen, have lived in Alberta for at least six months before Oct. 21 and be a resident of Sturgeon County (or Morinville, for the Morinville election) on election day.
Filing a false declaration is a bad idea, he added: you can be fined $10,000 and jailed for six months if you do.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Morinville on election day. County and school division polls open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
If you're in Morinville, you're voting at the Community Cultural Centre. If you're voting for a Sturgeon School Division trustee, you'll head to either the Gibbons community hall or the Fort In View golf course.
If you're in Sturgeon County, you'll have to check a map: there are 24 voting stations, or about four per division, and you can only vote at a station that's in your division. "You have to get to the right division," Lysyk said, "otherwise, you could end up driving quite a bit."
Check your location on the county's division map (available at sturgeoncounty.ca) to find out where to vote, Lysyk said.
Morinville election questions should go to Maskoske at 780-939-4361. County residents should call Lysyk at 780-939-8291. School board voters can reach Paulik at 780-939-4341.
