Hamilton Centre residents voting in byelection today for 1st new MPP in 16 years

Hamilton Centre residents are casting ballots today in a byelection to selecta new member of provincial parliament (MPP).

The byelection,called a month ago, is being heldto replace former Ontario NDP leaderAndrea Horwath, whostepped downas MPP in the summer torun for mayor and was elected in October.

One of the following Hamilton Centre byelection candidates will become the riding'sfirst new provincial representative in 16 years:

• Peter House, Electoral Reform Party.
• Lucia Iannantuono, Green Party of Ontario.
• Sarah Jama, Ontario New Democratic Party.
• Matthew Lingard, independent candidate.
• Deirdre Pike, Ontario Liberal Party.
• Mark Snow, Libertarian.
• John Turmel, independent candidate.
• Lee Weiss Vassor, New Blue party.
• Pete Wiesner,Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.
• Nathalie Xian Yi Yan, independent candidate.

Voters can find their polling location on Elections Ontario.

The polls close at9 p.m. ET.

Candidates detail how they spent election day

Most candidates canvassed rightup until Wednesday night. Severalshared photos on social media on how they spent election day.

Iannantuonosaid she still has Green Party team membersoutencouraging voters to go to the polls.

"Right now there's just over 10 per centturnout, hope to see that number up go up by the end of the day!" shesaidearly Thursdayafternoon.

Jamawrapped up her canvassing on Wednesday after a day of knocking on doors with her NDPteam.

"I never thought I could be this tired and have this much fun at the same time," she wrote.

Pike, backed by her team members and supporters, posted a video Wednesday thanking the Hamiltonians she spoke with while canvassing door to door.

"I will miss knocking on doors, I will say," she said.

"I've loved meeting so many of you and have enjoyed talking about the issues that matter most to our community," she tweeted.

What the voters are saying

Kevin Sooley in Hamilton's Beasley neighbourhood said his vote was going toa candidate who wouldintroduce more progressive ideas into politics.

"A lot of the country is moving away from sort of like labour-first values and just progressive values in general," he said.

Marjorie Leatherland, a senior who lives inBeasley, said she wants the new MPP to "get on the job and get those little houses built. Nobody should be on the street."

Leatherland also wants the new Hamilton Centre MPP to protect the city's greenbelt, she said.

Lynn Watkinssaid shecast a ballotto exercise her right to vote, but doesn't have any pressing issues she's thinking about on election day.

"I don't think it matters who you vote for,as long as you believe in that and them," she said.

Catherine Higgins of Strathcona said she hit the polls to vote for an MPP that would "push the envelope" on considering human rights in policymaking.

"I'm hoping that they push the governments on equitable and affordable housing," she said.

"It seems like a lot of the issues that we're having in Hamilton that I've noticed, that have made me very unhappy about this city, is the lack of support for people."

Another Hamilton Centre resident, Gregory Beris,said "voting is a is a protest vote for me against these institutions where I've been to."

He said he has been in both prison and in a psychiatric care facility, and is voting for a candidate whowill address the issues with those institutions.

Jennifer Robbsaid she didn't have plans to vote, butmade a split decision to do so.

"It honestly feels like you're just screaming into the wind and nothing's getting done the way that you would want to do it. But this is our best option to have things go in directions that we feel strongly about," she said.

She said she decided her vote would not be based on any of the campaigns, but rather by which candidate has the most number of signs up in her neighbourhood.

"I gauged how my neighbours feel and who they're drawn to," she said.

Who can vote and what you need to cast a ballot

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

People already on the voters list should bring theirvotercard to the polling station, as well as a piece of ID.

Anyone not on the voters list will need to bring a piece of ID showing their name and address.

International identificationor permanent resident cards won't be accepted.Most documentsissued by the Canadian and Ontario governmentsor a municipality in Ontario can be used.

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.

Experts predict low voter turnout

For this byelection, voter turnout for advancepolls was a dismal 5.2 per cent.

That means of the77,599registered voters inHamiltonCentre, only4,166 cast ballots between March 8 and March 10.

Experts told CBC Hamilton that low turnout is expected to persist on Thursday because most byelections only draw attention of politically engaged residents, many of whom already have their minds made up.

That low voter turnout may also make it hard to call who will win Thursday night.

Election results will be posted at cbc.ca/hamilton after the polls close.