Advance polls open over Thanksgiving weekend
Credit to Author: Glenda Luymes| Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 23:12:01 +0000
Many voters took advantage of advance polling stations to cast their vote in the federal election over the Thanksgiving long weekend.
But it’s still too early to say if the numbers will top 2015 when more than 3.6 million ballots were cast over four days of advance polling, predicating the highest overall voter turnout in a Canadian federal election in more than two decades.
“We’re definitely seeing good turnout at advance polling stations, especially in some areas,” Elections Canada spokesperson Andrea Marantz said Saturday. “There’s some lineups, but not too bad.”
While long lines were reported at several stations on Vancouver Island on Friday, there was no wait at the advance polling station at Vancouver Technical Secondary School on Saturday afternoon.
Among a steady stream of voters was Andrew Macdonell and Karolina Kubinski, who said it was easier to vote on the weekend rather than voting day when they had to juggle work, daycare pickup and other routines.
Kubinski expressed disappointment with a campaign that was more about “attacking other candidates than real policy issues.”
Macdonell said affordability, taxes and the economy were important to him.
“I’m pro-pipeline,” he added.
Katrina Orlowski said she was impressed by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.
“I’m voting now to save time, it’s that simple,” she said on her way into the advance polling station.
Marantz said Elections Canada has heard from voters who want more options for voting. In 2015, advance polling was extended to four days from three and a pilot project to provide on-campus advance voting was successful.
This election, on-campus voting happened Oct. 5 to 9, with 111,300 voters taking part across Canada, an increase from 2015 when 700,000 people cast ballots on campus, according to Elections Canada. Vote on Campus locations were also increased from 39 to 199 this year.
Advance polling stations will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday, after opening Friday. Electors can cast ballots at assigned polling stations only — a difference from advance voting in a provincial election. Information on polling stations can be found on the back of voter identification cards, or the Elections Canada website.