Voters to go to the polls in Scarborough-Rouge River byelection to elect new MPP

Voters will cast ballots on Thursday in the riding of Scarborough-Rouge River in a provincialbyelection that is said to be a tight race.

The east Toronto riding has been a Liberal stronghold since it was created in 1999.

Candidates in the byelection include: Piragal Thiru for the Liberal Party; Raymond Cho for the Progressive Conservatives; Neethan Shan for the NDP; and Queenie Yu as an independent. There are 11 candidates running in all.

This is a full list of candidates in the byelection.

The byelection is being held to replace former Liberal MPP Bas Balkissoon.

Balkissoon resigned from his seat in March with little explanation other than to tell the Scarborough Mirror in April that he wanted to spend more time with family. Neither Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne nor the party have spoken about the reason for Balkissoon's departure. He had held the seat since 2005.

Elections Ontario said 4,509 voters cast their ballots at advance polls in the riding in August. In the Ontario general election in June2014, 4,597 voters in Scarborough-Rouge River took advantage of advance polls.

Elections Ontario said 571 election workers will be at 50 voting locations in the riding on Thursday.

Eligible voters are encouraged to visit elections.on.ca to find out where, when and how to vote. Canadian citizens, who are at least 18 years of age on voting dayand who reside in the riding, are eligible to vote.

Elections Ontario reminds eligible voters, when they go to the polls, to bring their notice of registration card and proof of identity, or one piece of identification that includesboth their name and residential address.

To be added to the Voters List, eligible voters must show one piece of identification that includes both their name and residential address.