With the writ officially dropped by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week, the federal election is on. And with it, the returning office for the Foothills riding has re-opened in Okotoks.

Residents are able to vote any time between now and October 21, by showing up at the returning office located on Northridge Drive.

"Voting is available to anybody across Canada the day the Prime Minister drops the writ," said Foothills Returning Officer JoAnn Partaker. "The only caution we have with voting right away is the list of confirmed candidates is not up."

The candidates for each party will be made official on October 2, which means anyone who votes in advance of that date could wind up with a spoiled ballot.

"If the individual's name that you wish to vote for does not get their nomination paper in time, or chooses not to run, you have lost your right to vote," Partaker said.

Should a candidate drop out between now and the election, a resident who cast their vote for that candidate would be unable to re-vote.

An early vote would also not transfer to a replacement candidate, in the instance that an elector voted for a specific party.

"We don't vote for party in Canada, we vote for an individual," explained Partaker. "Even if you wrote the party name it would be a spoiled or declined ballot, it wouldn't count."

In addition to voting in person, residents are able to vote by mail or fax, after requesting a special ballot.

Partaker's number one recommendation is for residents who intend to vote in-person to register in advance.

"It really does speed up the process," she said. "If you've recently moved in the area, even moving from one street to another, it could make your polling division different."

Residents can check if they are registered to vote online, or by heading down to the returning office.

More information on the election and how to vote can be found at the Elections Canada website.

The Foothills returning office can be found at 200 Southridge Drive, Suite 1013.

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