Early-bird voters flocked to advance polls across the Okanagan Valley with voters showing out in force to cast their ballots ahead of the 2021 federal election.
The advance polls were open from Sept. 10-13, and for some, it became a necessity to avoid the major crowds that might show up on election day during a pandemic.
The North Okanagan-Shuswap saw the largest spike in advance votes in the region.
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According to Elections Canada, 28,925 people cast an early ballot this year, compared to 20,302 in 2019.
In Kelowna-Lake Country, thousands of more residents also took advantage of early voting, with 25,947 ballots cast, compared to 18,069 in the 43rd general election.
In South Okanagan-West Kootenay, returning officer Gerald Anderson said the preliminary results on the Elections Canada website have not been updated.
He said approximately 28,117 advanced votes were cast or 30 per cent of the electorate. In 2019, 20,636 early votes were submitted in that riding.
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In Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, early results show 25,953 advance votes cast, up from 20,469 during the last federal election.
The uptick in early votes is consistent with the rest of the country, with 5.8 million Canadians casting a ballot during advance voting.
Elections Canada estimates roughly 5.8 million Canadians voted in the advance polls — an 18.5 per cent increase from the 2019 election when 4.9 million people voted in advance.
The numbers do not include mail-in ballots received by Elections Canada so far.
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Elections Canada acknowledged that because of strong turnout at advance polls, “there may have been line ups in some places.”
As of Sunday, Sept. 19, advanced polls have closed, the deadline to vote by mail had passed, and voters could no longer cast a ballot at an Elections Canada office.
All remaining voters must now attend their designated polling station on election day, Monday, Sept. 20.
To find your polling station, check your voter information card or use Elections Canada’s Voter Information Service.
To vote in a federal election, you must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old on election day, and be able to prove your identity and address.
-With files from Ahmar Khan