Early voting plummeted in the South Okanagan West Kootenay riding this year, according to preliminary data released by Elections Canada.
The riding saw 50.4 per cent fewer advance votes cast compared to the previous general election, dropping from 20,636 down to 10,217.
It is one of only two riding across the country to see a drop in advance voter turnout, with the other being the Surrey-Newton riding that dropped by 21.2 per cent.
Early voting in the current election ran from Sept. 10 to 13.
READ MORE: South Okanagan – West Kootenay candidates square off at Penticton forum
Other nearby ridings saw their numbers increase, such as Central Okanagan – Similkameen – Nicola which rose to 25,953 from 20,469 and Kootenay – Columbia which rose to 27,330 from 19,856.
The previous election in 2019 saw a total of 68,196 votes registered in the South Okanagan – West Kootenay riding over the entire election, including mail-in ballots and ballots cast on voting day.
In 2015, there were a total of 66,594 votes over the entire election.
General election day is Monday, Sept. 20. Five candidates are running in the election; incumbent NDP candidate Richard Cannings, Conservative Helena Konanz, Green Party Tara Howse, Liberal Ken Roberston and PPC Sean Taylor.
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