First time voters head to the polls for three very different reasons

A week from today, Canada will vote in the federal election.

And for many of us who make our way to the polling station, and line up with our fellow citizens, the experience is accompanied by a pang of delight — a certain pride in exercising our democratic right to vote.

And the feeling may just be strongest in those who are exercising that right for the very first time. That's true whether they're young or old, newly arrived or "long-time citizens, first time voters."

Today, we've brought together three first-time voters to share their stories.

Emily Haws is a 20-year-old journalism student at Carleton University. She says she will vote Liberal because student debt and income tax is important to her; she will graduate with $15-25,000 of debt and wants to make sure she can find a job after school to be debt-free. We reached her in North Bay, Ontario.

Terry Teegee is a father of two and Tribal Chief for the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council. He says he will vote NDP because that is who the First Nations candidate is in his riding, and above everything else he wants to help get that voice into Parliament. He was in Prince George, BC.

And Chuma Chukwulozie is the executive director of the non-profit the Westbrook Education Fund and a new Canadian citizen. He says he will vote Conservative because he believes they are the only party that holds the same values as he does, especially on right to life issues like abortion. He was in our studio in Vancouver.

Are you voting for the first time in this election? We want to hear from you — let us know what's bringing you to the polls on Twitter, Facebook, or by email.