Voter surprised Elections Canada mobile polling station closing earlier than expected

While polls across Ontario are open today from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., a voter in a riding north of Toronto was surprised to learn that a mobile poll will close at 1:30 p.m.

Peggy Blair posted a tweet with a photo of her friend's voter information card for the riding of Vaughan-Woodbridge showing that the poll where her friend is slated to vote — No. 501 — is only open until 1:30 p.m.

Although it's not specified on the voter information card, according to Elections Canada it's "a mobile poll." 

On the Elections Canada website, mobile polling stations are available in some seniors' residences and hospital wards. If required, ballot boxes are carried from room to room to facilitate voting.

"That means the voting station is coming to them," Nathalie Demontigny of Elections Canada told CBC News on Monday. Demontigny said she "learned something new today," but that all 500-series polling stations are the ones on the move.

She also didn't know the circumstances of the polling station that Blair posted about Amica at Villa DaVinci, located at 7371 Martin Grove Rd., Vaughan.

Though Blair said the friend who shared a photo of the card with her was planning to vote after work today. For some, that might be easier than asking for the mandated time off of work and taking time out of the day to go.

As for the mobile stations, it's not new for Elections Canada to do this. Demontigny said, "it's one way to make the vote more accessible."
 
The Vaughan-Woodbridge riding is one where boundaries were redrawn for this election. Conservative incumbent Julian Fantino is running against Liberal Francesco Sorbara, NDP Adriana Zichy and Green Elise Boulanger.

• Voters are encouraged to reach out to CBC News with the #pollwatch hashtag if they encounter any issues when voting today.