Elections Canada in an announcement Wednesday explained what voting during COVID-19 is going to look like.

Mail-in ballots have been increasing over the past few years, and many believe this option will be more relevant than ever during a pandemic.

Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Stéphane Perrault, says Canadians who want to mail-in their votes should plan to do so ahead of time.

“This is not a new option, in fact Canadians have been voting by mail even locally since 1993,” explains Perrault. “Electors who want to vote by mail should do so early. They should leave enough time for their voter kit to get to them, and for them to return it to elections Canada by election day.”

This will be the first election where Canadians will be able to apply online to vote by mail.

Once you have sent in your vote, you will be unable to change it afterwards, even if you want to do so before election day.

More mail-in ballots will also mean it will be slightly longer before we find out the results of the election.

“Canadians are used to getting complete results on election night, but it will be different for this election,” says Perrault. “The count of regular ballots on ordinary polling day and advanced polls will be completed on the night of the election as usual. The count of mail-in ballots will start after election day, once all the mail-in ballots dropped off at polling stations have been returned and integrity checks have been performed.”

It is not yet clear exactly when we will have a decision in the 2021 election, and will depend entirely on how many Canadians decide to use the mail-in format.

Voter turnout will also be a factor.

In terms of health and safety for those who cast their votes at a polling station, the restrictions will feel very familiar, following the current provincial guidelines.

In Ontario for example masks and social distancing of course will be in place.

Perrault details a little more about how they are ensuring the safest experience for all Canadian voters.

“We will have people in charge of ensuring the place is clean, and that the electors are physically distanced,” explains Perrault. “They will see for example these physical transparent barriers that will separate the poll workers that will service them to allow them to vote.”

Advanced polls begin on Sept. 10, election day officially Sept 20.