Election day has arrived in the City of Portage la Prairie, and the polls open at 8 a.m.
Our coverage on Portageonline will begin as soon as results are received after polls closed. There will be extensive updates on CFRY starting at 8:45 p.m. as well as updates on Mix 96 and Country 93 at 10 p.m., 11 p.m, midnight and overnight on the hour.
click here to see who is running in Portage
click here to see the surrounding area
Diane Van Aert, the Senior Election Official for the City, says that there are some requirements that make you eligible to vote.
"You need to be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years of age on Election Day, and you've been a city resident or a registered land owner in the city for at least six months before Election Day." Van Aert continues, "In this instance, it would be April 26th, 2022, and you'll be asked to show identification or proof of property ownership. So, if you have that with you will be all set to cast your ballot."
Now that you have figured out if you are eligible, you now need to know where you can vote. Van Aert says they are switching it up this year and no longer holding elections in the school gymnasium.
"This year, we have three larger polling stations, the Herman Prior, the MNP building on the island, and Red River Community College. These are all large accessible venues with ample parking. And we will have just as many individual polling stations as we have had in the past, so there will be nine at the Herman Prior, ten at the M&P building and three at Red River."
She says that the city is divided into three different zones. Where you live depends on where you vote.
"Everyone who lives north of Saskatchewan Ave will go to the Herman Prior Activity Center. Everyone who lives South of Saskatchewan Ave and W 3rd St SE and River Rd votes at the M&P building on the island. Lastly, everyone who lives on the Southside of Saskatchewan Ave and east of 3rd St and River Rd votes at Red River College."
The Elections Official says that even if you are unsure where to vote, you can go to their website to see the full map.
hear a statement from the candidates here
She also notes that going to the polls this year may take a little longer than usual due to the number of ballots. When filling out your ballot, you must only select one for mayor, six for council, and five for school board.
"We're explaining this to people when they're voting because if you select more than the allowed number of people, your ballot will be invalid, and it won't be counted at the end of the night."
Van Aert concludes by saying that she is hopeful more eligible voters will vote in this election.
"In 2018, we had 3260 voters come out, which was around 40% of eligible voters. I'd like to see more people out this year, and the fact that we had such a good turnout at the advance poll is a sign that the city is engaged in this election and everyone is going to come out, come out and vote on Election Day."