Voters began turning out to polling stations early Monday morning in Halifax — and throughout Canada — doing their bit, ballot by ballot, to elect the women and men who will lead our country for the next four years (or for a much shorter period of time, if ... well, see our coverage on minority goverment scenarios for a longer explanation on that one).
You can vote until 8:30 p.m. today — find out more details here. So, be like the four voters we talked to this morning at a polling station in the riding of Halifax and do your civic duty.
"I'm a mom," said Rebekah Higgs. "I want my kids to learn how to vote and to be active in the Canadian system."
She said she was looking for a leader "who represents Canada well, is diplomatic and seems to have a good understanding of where the country needs to go and ... what we're looking for in the future."
Typically someone who votes NDP or Green, Higgs said it was a tough choice for her this election because of her concern about splitting the vote.
Maris Hughes said she was looking for a prime minister "who is going to do right by all of us, be honest — which I think this campaign proved opposite — someone who is just going to continuously work for Canada."
She said that "ultimately I'm voting locally and I'm voting for the person I think will do the most work for us here in Halifax."
Steve Ayer, who usually votes Liberal, said he wants to see a prime minister "who can really help drive the economy."
"I think Canada as a whole really needs to grow economically, plus to balance that out with a good platform on the environment because not only do we need to grow economically but we need to protect our environment and our resources."
While he said that some of Justin Trudeau's behaviour was a concern, he thought the Liberal leader had learned his lesson. "I think he's a good leader, I look forward to him leading in the future."
Mike Christie said he's "looking for ethical, principled leadership that considers the environment and also sets up a good business environment."
"I vote every time," he said. "I want to play a part in selecting the party that's going to lead the country, I think it's the most important thing we can do as citizens."
