Ahead of next week’s federal election, Elections Canada is asking everyone heading to the polls to be patient.
Spokesperson Andrea Marantz said the pandemic has made it challenging to staff polling stations and they only will have 80 per cent of the staffing they normally do.
She acknowledges there have also been some issues at advanced polling and notes that any kind of disruptive abuse won’t be tolerated.
“I would say that there were some isolated instances that happened at polling stations that were abusive, that people that were there to vote treated the poll workers very badly,” she told Global News.
Marantz said they do have the go-ahead to call police should anything get out of hand.
She added it could get busy on Monday, particularly at the beginning and end of day, so patience is key.
Election day is Monday, Sept. 20 and you will need two pieces of ID, or your voter card and one piece of ID to vote.
Proof of vaccination is not required to vote.