By Arthur White and Bianca Guzzo

I’m new to all this voting stuff, how do I do it?

You might have received a voter identification card in the mail. If so, it should tell you when to vote, where to go and what to bring. Problem solved.

Wait! I didn’t get the card, am I screwed?

Nope. You can register to vote at the polls on election day, it just might take a tad longer. You can also register online until Oct. 13.

Hold on. If I don’t have the card, how do I know where to vote?

Just go to Election Canada’s Voter Information Service and type in your postal code, you can find your polling place by clicking on “Where do I vote?” on the right side of the next page.

What do I need to bring?

You need ID that shows your photo, name and current address. Your driver’s license will do nicely for all three. If you don’t have a driver’s license you can bring your student ID and a piece of mail with your address on it from a reputable institution (like Ryerson!). Elections Canada also has a list of all the ID they accept here.

When’s the election again?

Oct. 19. Polls will be open from 9:30 a.m. till 9:30 p.m. in Ontario. If you can’t make it, there’s also advance voting on Oct. 9, 10, 11 and 12.

What do I do when I get there?

Elections Canada staff will guide the way. But basically you just make a big X next to your preferred candidate. Most candidates will also have a party, which will be noted with their name. If you need help choosing, check out our candidates and issues sections.