Here's what voters in Waterloo region need to know about the federal election

The federal election isunderwayand that means lawn signs, all-candidate debates and politically charged conversations in coffee shops will become the norm for the next few weeks.

The election is just over a month away, scheduled for Oct. 21.

Here's what you need to know about the upcoming federal election in Waterloo region.

The candidates

The Liberal Party, Conservative Party, New Democratic Party, Green Party and People's Party which was started by former Conservative Maxime Bernier have a full slate of candidates in Waterloo region.

All the current MPs are seeking reelection:

• Bardish Chagger, Liberal, in Waterloo.
• Raj Saini, Liberal, in Kitchener Centre.
• Marwana Tabbara, Liberal, in Kitchener South-Hespeler.
• Harold Albrecht, Conservative, in Kitchener-Conestoga.
• Bryan May, Liberal, in Cambridge.

Candidates from other parties are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, but there are also a few candidates named for the Christian Heritage Party and Animal Protection Party of Canada.

A full list of candidates can be found on CBC K-W'slist:

• Who are the people running in the federal election in Waterloo region

That list will be updated as more candidates file paperwork with Elections Canada.

Elsewhere around Waterloo region:

• In Guelph, Liberal MP Lloyd Longfield is seeking reelection.
• In Wellington-Halton Hills, Conservative Michael Chong is seeking reelection.
• In Perth-Wellington, Conservative John Nater is seeking relection.

Are you on the voters' list?

If you've moved, are a new voter or just not sure if you're on the list, you can check through the Elections Canada website.

Click on the Voterssection and scroll down to Voter Registration.It will take you to a page where you can check to see if you're on the voters' list and, if you're not, you can register.

If you don't do this, you can still vote by registering at an advance pollor on election day.

Registering ahead of time means you'll get a voter information card telling you where to vote and will speed up the process when you go to cast your ballot.

You'll be able to vote soon

Once an election is called, Elections Canada works to setup offices in every riding.

Once that office is open, you can vote. To do so, you go to the local riding office and complete a form called "application for registration and special ballot." You will need to provide proof of your identity and home address.

Once your application is accepted, you're given a special ballot voting kit. You can vote on the spotor take the kit home and bring it back.

These special ballots must be received by Elections Canada by 6 p.m. on the Tuesday before election day in this case, Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Remember, you can only vote once.

You want to bea candidate

If you're interested in running in this federal election, you have to meet theserequirements:

• You must be a Canadian citizen.
• You must be at least 18 years old on election day.
• You must not be deemed ineligible under section 65 of the Canada Elections Act.

Also, for the election on Oct. 21, you need to submit paperwork 21 days in advance of election day.In this case, that means by 2 p.m. on Sept. 30.

Sifting through misinformation

There's been a rise in concern about misinformation being spread during the election campaign.

CBC News has put together a guide about how to spot misinformation and this story covers what to do if you've spotted "fake news."

A team of journalists will be focused on the rise of things like Twitter bots, robo-texts, fake media sites and Facebook's fact-checking program, among other issues, throughout the election.

A full list of the stories will be available here:

• CBC News stories on disinformation and the federal election

While the election has just been called, CBC Kitchener-Waterloo has been covering election issues for months already. You can read all of the stories here:

• Waterloo Region Votes 2019|Federal election coverage from CBC K-W

If you have an election-related story you think might be of interest, please email us with your idea.