Advance voting for Manitoba election starts Saturday

Manitobans are encouraged to make a mark this weekend as advance polling for the provincial election starts Saturday.

There are about 300 advance polling locations, including all the major shopping malls, The Forks, the airport, Health Sciences Centre, the University of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba and Red River College.

The Elections Manitoba website has a full list of locations and maps. 

"There's lots of of opportunities," said Alison Mitchell, communications manager for Elections Manitoba.

You can cast a ballot at any advance polling location in the province April 9-16, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Unlike on election day, the location for advance voting doesn't need to be in your neighbourhood or at your official polling station. Just show your ID and away you go.

Everything you need to know about ID requirements can be found here.

There are three requirements to be an eligible voter in Manitoba. You must:

1. be a Canadian citizen;
2. be 18 or older on or before election day; and
3. have lived in Manitoba for at least six months before election day.

Elections Manitoba has also created a mobile app this year, called Manitoba Votes. It will direct you to the closest polling station if your device's location settings are turned on.

"We really want to make voting convenient for everyone," said Mitchell.

Last fall, nearly 109,000 Manitobans voted in advance for the federal election, up from 78,500 in the 2011 federal election.

"We are pretty confident we'll have a big turnout [for the provincial advance polls]," Mitchell said.

Election Day in Manitoba is April 19.