Election Day is finally here.

Elections Canada says it’s ready to welcome voters, and if advance polls are any indication, turnout could surpass the 14,823,408 who voted in the last federal election in 2011.

Elections Canada saw a 71 per cent increase in advance poll voting for this election over 2011, over a four-day rather than a three-day period.

Tim Lang, president and CEO of Youth Employment Services, said he and other leaders with the Toronto non-profit organization have been encouraging young people to get out and mark their ballots Monday.

“We continue to emphasize the problems with youth unemployment. We educate our young people that the GTA’s youth unemployment (22 per cent) is higher than the national average (13.5 per cent) and only by politicians and people in public life taking action can we continue to have the right support services to help.

“So we encourage youth to act by voting,” Lang said.

Some young people get discouraged about voting by so-called negative political “attack ads,” Lang said.

“I’ve seen it. Young people are getting out of voting. We’re doing what we can to try to encourage them to vote not only this election, but to stay engaged in the voting process.”

Peter Loewan, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, said that while it’s not his job to give people moral reasons to vote, research shows that when people vote they feel good about it.

“Voting makes you feel like a more engaged member of your community. And people have to recognize that when they vote it has a small networking effect that encourages other people to vote,” Loewan said.

“I remind my students that we’ve been around on the earth for about a quarter of a million years, but it’s only in the last 20 years that the majority of people in the world have had a chance to choose who governs them. It’s a new thing, so people should give it (voting) a whirl,” Loewan adds.

Elections Canada released a few pointers what voters should know on Election Day.

For example, Elections Canada is promising that registered electors who are “vote-ready” — meaning electors who are on the list and have the correct identification — should be able to vote quite quickly when they show up at the polls.

There will be 66,150 polling stations throughout the country on Election Day, compared to 4,950 polling stations during advance polls.

In addition, mobile polling stations will visit some 5,000 long-term care facilities.

In a bid to encourage its users to go out and vote, Facebook is running a special “Why I’m Voting” feature in which recognizable Canadians are commenting on issues that matter to them.

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It’s featured on the Facebook Canada page.

Here are some samples:

Damian Warner:

The athlete, who captured the gold medal in the decathlon at the Pan Am Games in Toronto this summer, says he’s voting because “our lives have been shaped by our history . . . a history of men and women who sacrificed their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. An important part of that freedom is the ability to choose those who govern us.”

Mitsou:

The musician, who scored a major hit on Quebec and English radio decades ago with her catchy dance tune “Bye Bye Mon Cowboy,” says in a statement in French that she plans to vote because “I feel a responsibility to my country, my province, our land our people.”

Craig Kielburger:

The humanitarian, bestselling author and activist who started Free the Children, an international charity and educational partner, says he’s “voting for a political system that engages and includes young people. Youth issues have a ripple effect. They impact everyone and our country’s ability to thrive.”

Gurdeep Ahluwalia:

The TSN anchor and former reporter and anchor with Toronto’s CP24 news station says he’s concerned about several key issues. “The issues that stand out for me this time around include federal funding for public transit expansion, lowering unemployment/improving youth employment and increased funding for seniors care. If you don’t vote, don’t complain.”

Perry Bellegarde:

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says he’s voting to “reinforce my message that First Nations’ priorities must be Canada’s priorities and that we must close the gap in the quality of life between First Nations people and Canadians.”