Advance voting gets underway today in Montreal

While the general election is set for Nov. 5, there are a number of opportunities to cast your vote beforehand.

Montreal has opened its advancepolling stations which will remain openinto this week.

About 100 polling stations will be open for advance voting in the city today.

Here are your options:

• Vote in the advance poll today, from12 to 8 p.m.

• Vote at the returning officer's office in your borough on Oct. 30 and 31 (from10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or onNov.1(from10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

• Check the reminder card sent to you bylection Montralfor the address and exact hours of your station or go to their site.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you are voting in advance,lectionMontralsays.

While election day will see a total of 470 polling stations open, there will be significantly fewer stations open for advanced polling. That means there risks being longer wait times.

In 2013, 7.75 per cent of voters in Montreal voted in advance polls.

• A tale of 2 cities: Mayoral debate reveals contrasting visions for Montreal

If you head out to vote beforeNov.5, remember to bring a piece of identification such as your health insurance card, driver's licence or passport.

lection Montral also suggests bringing your reminder card, although it's not necessary to vote.

Advancevoting is also open in900 municipalities across Quebec on Sunday.

How it works

Montreal has a total of 103 elected positions, including the mayor, 18 borough mayors, 46 city councillors and 38 borough councillors.

• Borough vs. city council: Who decides what in Montreal?

Not all boroughs vote for the same positions but your ballots are relatively easy to understand.

Every citizen who arrives to vote will receive a ballot for each position they need to vote on.

Let's use the Southwest borough as an example. If you are living in the Saint-PaulmardSaint-Henri-Ouest district, you will receive ballots for the following positions: Montreal mayor, borough mayor, city councillor for your district and borough councillor for your district.

Make a date with CBC for election night this Sunday, Nov. 5:

• CBC'sfull coverage of the 2017 municipal election

Online:Get breaking news and live results at cbc.ca/montreal after polls close at 8 p.m.

On Facebook:Join host Debra Arbec for a 90-minute Facebook Live starting at 10 p.m. with results, analysis and reports from across Quebec.

On TV:Watch our live results show at 11-11:30 p.m. on CBC Television.

On Radio:Listen to CBCRadio One starting at 8 p.m. for a province-wide show hosted by Mike Finnerty in Montreal and Susan Campbell in Quebec City.