Elections Canada creates 'mega-polling station' for Manitoba storm evacuees

Elections Canada is setting up what callsa "mega-polling station" to allow storm evacuees in Manitoba to vote in Monday's federal election.

Thousands of people were evacuated to Winnipeg after a massive snowstorm knocked out power to a number of remote communities.

Marie-France Kenny of Elections Canada said avoting station with 13 polls will be established inside Convocation Hall at the University of Winnipeg on Monday.

The polls are for people from the following communitieswho will be in Winnipeg on Oct. 21.

• Long Plain First Nation.
• Peguis First Nation.
• Pinaymootang First Nation.
• Sandy Bay First Nation.
• Fisher River First Nation.
• Lake Manitoba First Nation.
• Lake St. Martin First Nation.
• Little Saskatchewan First Nation.
• Dakota Tipi First Nation.
• O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation.
• Dauphin River First Nation.
• Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation.
• Dakota Plains First Nation.

The special voting location isin addition to the polls set up in the evacuees' home communitiesfor those who did not leave.

However, those community polls might havereduced hours of operation due to ongoing power outages, Kenny said.

The arrangements for evacuees have been made betweenElections Canada and the Red Cross.

"Outreach staff will help identify where people have been displaced to, and communicate extensively with affected Indigenous communities to share available voting options," a news release from Elections Canada said.

Similar accommodations will also be made for peopleevacuated to Brandon and Dauphin, Kenny said.

Updates on closed, moved or newly addedpolling locations can be found on the Elections Canada website orby calling 1-800-463-6868.