Advanced voting for Hamilton Centre's provincial byelection opens Wednesday

Advanced polls open Wednesday for voters eager to cast an early ballot for Hamilton Centre's next member of provincial parliament (MPP).

The early-bird polls for the provincial byelection will be open from March 8 to March 10.

The poll locations,open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.,are:

• Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre, 876 Cannon St. E.
• Hamilton Central Public Library, 55 York Blvd.
• The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, 170 Dundurn St. S.

People can also vote at the returning office in the Centre on Barton, next to Giant Tiger, which has been open since Feb. 16 and will stay open until March 15.

Voters can also apply to vote for their next MPP by mail or request a home visit.

Who can vote and what do you need to vote?

Only Canadian citizens who are 18 or older and are residents of Ontario can vote in the byelection.

International ID or permanent resident cards are not accepted, but most documents issued by the Government of Canada, Government of Ontario or a municipality in Ontario can be used.

People on the voters' list who bring a voters card to the booth, only need one piece of ID showing their name.

Anyone who isn't on the list needs a piece of ID with their name and address.

Voters without a permanent residence can register the location where they have returned most often to eat or sleep in the past five weeks as their residence.

Students out of the area or out of province can also vote by mail.

For those who don't end up going to advanced polls, election day is March 16. You can check where to vote on the big day here.

There will also be a live debate hosted by Cable 14 on Tuesday at 7 p.m.