Record voter turnout in advance polls ahead of federal election

More than 7 million Canadians have cast their ballots at advance polls throughout the country. CTV’s Matt Skube reports.

A record number of Canadians cast a ballot during four days of advance voting over the Easter long weekend.

Elections Canada says an estimated 7.3 million people cast a ballot during advance polls April 18 to 21. The previous record for voters at advance polls was 5.8 million ballots cast during the 2021 federal election.

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Long lines were reported at some polling stations in Ottawa and across Canada on Good Friday, during the first day of advance voting. Some people in Ottawa said they waited up to two hours to cast a ballot last Friday.

Two million votes were cast on the first day of advance polls, prompting Elections Canada to make changes at some stations to accommodate demand.

“We thank all election workers for their dedication and all voters for their patience,” Elections Canada said.

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The independent agency says the 7.3 million ballots cast is a preliminary figure, as some polls may not have reported yet.

A breakdown of the estimated number of electors who voted at the advance polls for all electoral districts will be released soon.

Tuesday is the final day voters can vote in person at any Elections Canada office across the country ahead of election day.

Elections Canada says polling stations will be open on Election Day – Monday, April 28, at the following times:

• Newfoundland Time: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Atlantic Time: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Eastern Time: 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Central Time: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 
• Mountain Time: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• In Saskatchewan, voting hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to Elections Canada
• Pacific Time: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

According to Elections Canada, 17.2 million people cast ballots in the 2021 federal election. Voter turnout was 62.6 per cent in 2021, down from 67 per cent in 2019.