Advance polls for Canada federal election open today

Advance polling gets underway today across the country, signaling that election day is inching closer.

Advance polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m., Oct. 9 to 12 acrossthe entire country for those who would prefer to vote early or aren't able to on election day, Oct. 19.

The location of advance polls can be found on voter information cards or onlinethrough the voter information service.

• ANALYSIS:Strategic voting campaigns pit the heart against the mind
• Voter info card errors cause confusion over how to vote in election
• Want to vote on Oct. 19? Make sure you have proper ID

Advance voting already underway for many

Voting has already been underway for a few weeks across many First Nations communities, as well as for those in the military or in university.

Voting also begins today for federal prison inmates. It's only the fifth time in the country's history that prisoners have been allowed to cast ballots in a federal election.

A 2002 Supreme Court of Canada judgment gave federal prisoners the right to vote on constitutional grounds, ruling that voting is a fundamental right in a democracy.

In the last election in 2011, voter turnout was 54 per cent in federal prisons, not far behind the 61 per cent in the general population.