The Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) Political Action Committee is taking this opportunity to stress to TWU members the importance of participating in the upcoming Federal election.

  As the election will be taking place the first day of the TWU convention, it is especially important for convention delegates to be aware of their voting options ahead of time.

Advance polls will be held on Friday, April 22, Saturday, April 23 and Monday, April 25, from noon to 8 p.m.  The address of your advance polling site will be available after April 8, either by visiting www.elections.ca, or calling Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868.  The information will also be on your voter information card which will be mailed to all registered electors.  Please be aware that these dates fall during the Easter long weekend.

You can also vote by special ballot.  Special ballot application forms are also available at any Elections Canada office, at any Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate, by calling Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868, or you can apply now to vote by special ballot (vote by mail).  You must apply before 6 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday, April 26, to be eligible to vote by special ballot.  You can vote by special ballot within your riding and in person at your local Elections Canada office through most of the election period, or by mailing your special ballot to your local Elections Canada office.  Your completed ballot must be received at your local Elections Canada office before the polls close in your riding on Monday, May 2.

You may choose to mail your ballot to Ottawa, Ont., instead, but your completed ballot must be received by Elections Canada in Ottawa before      6 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Monday, May 2.  This option applies to people whose residence is in Canada but who are travelling outside their riding in Canada or abroad (e.g. snowbirds, students living away from home to attend university).  With this option, you can vote by mail from anywhere in Canada or the world.  If you are currently outside of Canada, you could ask a Canadian diplomatic or consular office to forward your special ballot application to Elections Canada.  Be aware that diplomatic and consular offices do not process these application forms or issue special ballots themselves, and they may not forward your application to Elections Canada right away.  It is your responsibility to ensure that your application gets to Elections Canada on time.

Please keep in mind that if you are mailing your ballot at all, you should apply early for your special ballot to allow time for Canada Post to deliver your vote.