Elections Canada said more than 14,000 people voted in the advance polls of the federal byelection of Battle River-Crowfoot in Alberta.
That’s the riding Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is running in after losing his Ottawa-area seat in the April federal election to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy.
Poilievre’s former riding of Carleton saw the highest voter turnout during advance polls in that election, with more than 43,000 people showing up to cast their ballot early.
Elections Canada data shows around the same number of people voted during advance polls in Battle River Crowfoot as voted in the advance poll in the April election.
For the first time, Elections Canada is requiring voters to fill out a blank ballot with the name of their preferred candidate. Elections Canada said votes will be counted even if the voter misspells the candidate’s name.
The agency lists a record 214 candidates running in the rural riding.
In the April election there were more than 90 candidates on the ballot when the Conservative leader ran in the riding of Carleton.
The majority of the candidates are part of the Longest Ballot Committee, a protest group calling for various changes to Canada’s electoral system.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called the byelection in June after Conservative Damien Kurek — who handily won the seat in the April general election — stepped down so Poilievre could run.
Official voting day is set for Aug. 18.
— With files from The Canadian Press
