Advance voting in Calgary steady as federal election day nears

We're a week out from election day and advance voting numbers have been steady across the country. In Calgary, people say they want to be heard.

A spring snowstorm and the Easter long weekend didn’t prevent thousands of Calgarians from casting their ballots early ahead of next Monday’s federal election.

Some polling stations in the city reported long lines and multi-hour waits to vote. According to Elections Canada, about two million people voted on Friday in the first day of advance voting – a new record.

“I expected a lot of voters to come out. And I think it’s the crucial turning point for Canada for the next four years,” said Roy Lee, a Calgarian who voted on Monday.

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Additional voter turnout information will be released on Tuesday by Elections Canada, including regional numbers.

In the riding of Calgary Centre, polling workers said lineups on Friday went out the door and wrapped around the block, with people waiting about two hours.

By Monday, far fewer voters showed up, though it was still a steady stream of people.

“We know there’s a high level of engagement in this election,” said Lori Williams, a political science professor at Mount Royal University.

“We’re seeing that even in the activities of the campaigns, the fact that we’re seeing so many people that those polls don’t necessarily translate into higher voter turnout during elections.”

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On the campaign trail, leaders of the federal parties focused on housing and health-care announcements.

With one week to go, polling indicates a two-horse race: about 80 per cent of people intend to vote for either the Liberals or Conservatives.

“What I’m really watching in these last days of the election is where the leaders are going, we’ll probably be able to get a pretty good indication of where they think they need to generate more support, where the races are tighter or closer,” Williams said.

Although advance voting in each riding closes at 9 p.m. on Monday, people who still want to vote early can do so at an Elections Canada office until 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

• Here are the federal election candidates running in and around Calgary

Election day is April 28.