OTTAWA – Over the first two days of advance polling, approximately two million Canadians cast their ballot, according to Elections Canada.
That's a 25 per cent increase from the number of voters who voted during the first two days of advance polls in the 2015 federal election.
Advance polls remain open until 9 p.m. across the country on Monday. The national totals including Sunday and Monday's turnout will be released on Wednesday.
The two million votes already cast come in addition to any votes cast on Sunday, or that have come in through the special ballot process, or on postsecondary campuses.
Last week Elections Canada said that the turnout at advance on-campus polling places across Canada was also considerably up from 2015.
As part of the Vote on Campus initiative from Elections Canada that ran from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9, 111,300 electors took part.
"This increase shows that more and more Canadians are taking advantage of early voting opportunities to cast their ballots," said Elections Canada spokesperson Diane Benson in a statement.
Elections Canada added thousands more polling stations in this election, and these early polling places have been open for 12 hours each day.
"It certainly is part of a trend. There was a big jump between 2011 and 2015 in the number of people who voted in advance polls," said Dugald Maudsley, Election Canada's regional media advisor for the Greater Toronto Area on CTV News Channel.
In 2015 more than 3.6 million voters cast their ballots at advance polls, a 71 per cent increase from 2011.
"People are definitely coming out," Maudsley said.
Election day is next Monday, Oct. 21 across Canada. Polling places will be open for 12 hours, with the time varying, depending on what province you are in.
You can see everyone that has registered with Elections Canada to be on the ballot in your riding, and find out what riding you are in by entering your postal code, here.
