9.3 per cent of Montrealers participated in advanced voting

With less than a week before voters head to the polls, candidates are making their final push, and analysts say the race could hinge on a desire for change.

Elections Montreal says that 9.3 per cent of eligible voters participated in advance polling ahead of the municipal election.

Polls were opened for advance voting on Sunday as the city prepares for the Nov. 2 municipal election.

Advance polls opened at noon and closed at 8 p.m.

In the 2021 election, just 38 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot.

• READ MORE: Only one-third of Montrealers voted in the last municipal election. Will 2025 be any different?

On Friday, CEGEP and university students could cast their ballots on campus.

The initiative will continue on select days through Oct. 29 at 16 post-secondary institutions across the city.

Mobile voting teams also began visiting the homes of some 1,200 voters who requested to vote from home for health reasons on Saturday.

Montrealers can still vote early at returning officers’ offices on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

• READ MORE: Advance voting begins Sunday in Montreal ahead of municipal election

Voters can find information on their local candidates, polling location and schedule by visiting elections.montreal.ca, calling 514-872-VOTE (8683) or visiting the nearest Elections Montreal service point.

You can compare all party platforms here.

Residents do not need to bring their voting notice to cast a ballot, but do require one piece of valid identification.

Advanced polling to the advantage of incumbent: expert

Former city councillor and political analyst Justine McIntyre said ground game counts at this point.

“Advanced polling tends to be to the advantage of the incumbent or whoever has the strongest ground game, because it’s always to their advantage to get their supporters to come out early and to come out in large numbers. So when the polls are counted on election night, the first numbers that pop up are always the advanced polls, and what we tend to see is that they tend to favour the incumbent,” she said. “So the fact that those numbers are low may mean, and this is a big ‘may,’ but it may mean that Projet Montreal is not getting their members to come out as much as they would like.”

She added that low advance polling can mean low voter turnout overall.

“Hopefully those people are going to show up on Sunday and vote on election day, but it is an indication of a low voter turnout for now,” she said.