Advance voting begins in the Toronto mayoral byelection today; Here's what you need to know

After weeks of hearing dozens of candidates make their pitches for why they think they should become Toronto’s next mayor, voters will finally have a chance to walk into a polling station and cast their ballots starting today.

Advance voting begins in Toronto’s mayoral byelection Thursday and will run through June 13.

There are 102 candidates registered to run in the election, and their names will be listed alphabetically on the ballot. So bring your reading glasses if you want to make sure to mark the right spot.

If you’re still not familiar with the platforms, CP24 has compiled a Promise Tracker tool to compare the key promises of the seven leading candidates.

Here’s what you need to know about early voting.

WHERE TO VOTE

There are 50 advance voting locations around the city, which will be open between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily. Voters will be able to cast their ballot at any of those locations during early voting, the city says.

WHO CAN VOTE

In order to vote in the byelection, a person must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old. They must be a resident of the city, or a non-resident of Toronto, but they or their spouse owns or rents property in the city.

HOW TO VOTE

One piece of identification showing your name and qualifying Toronto address is needed when you go to vote. It does not have to a piece of photo ID.

An Ontario-issued photo card, driver’s licence or motor vehicle permit are acceptable, as is a utility bill for hydro, telephone or cable TV, water, gas or a credit card or bank statement. Many other types of ID are acceptable as well and a full list is available on the city’s website.

Voter Information Cards have been mailed out in advance to those on the voters list. They contain information about nearby locations for advance voting, but they are not a form of ID. It is not necessary to bring a Voter Information Card (VIC) with to the polling station, but doing so could help things run more smoothly.

You can use the city’s MyVote tool to check if you are on the voters list before you go to the polls. But if you're not, you can add yourself when you go to vote.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

If you require an interpreter or someone to help mark a ballot for you, they can do so if they swear a declaration at the polling station.

If you miss advance voting, then you can still vote in your ward on Election Day, June 26.