7 p.m. – Polls are now closed.
6:40 p.m. – Traffic flow at the Cook Street Village Activity Centre polling station is light with the polls nearly closing, reports Black Press Media’s Kiernan Green.
It seems a number of voters are driving to this poll, with the parking lot the centre shares with the Circle K convenience store next door full.
The smooth flow of voters into the polling place is in sharp contrast to the busy Central Middle School station, where elections staff were kept busy directing voters to their right poll lines.
5:45 p.m. – Evening lines are starting to form at a few Victoria polling stations, with a little over an hour before they close. At Central Middle School, featured in the video below, voters are enjoying the fresh air before stepping inside.
One voter named Christina told Black Press Media that exercising civic duty comes first, even during a pandemic.
“It is definitely difficult, coming out here with a huge crowd,” she said. “But I still feel like it’s important (to vote).”
When it comes to the issues that impact Victoria voters, Christina said this election fell short in some areas.
“I feel like issues like the environment and the housing crisis could have been addressed more. I’d like to see more low-income housing in this city.”
3/4 Christina fees uneasy about an election in the midst of a pandemic. Nonetheless, she’ll tell you exactly why the votes important and where political power should go. @VictoriaNews pic.twitter.com/UsDFT3VRlW
— Kiernan Green (@kiernang19) September 21, 2021
9:30 a.m. – Morning proved a good time to vote. Polls opened at 7 a.m. with slow uptake in the Victoria riding. A new federal government is expected to be named tonight in Canada’s 44th federal election.
Good morning and happy #Elxn44 day, #yyj!
I just voted at the First Church of Christ in downtown Victoria and was in and out in five minutes. If you want to avoid lines at the polls, now is a great time to go. pic.twitter.com/p1V7aziROF
— Tegwyn Hughes (@tegwynhughes) September 20, 2021
The main parties vying for the 338 seats in the House of Commons are Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives, Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats, Annamie Paul’s Greens, Yves-François Blanchet’s Bloc Quebecois and Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada.
Who is running in Victoria?
- Laurel Collins, NDP
- Nick Loughton, Green
- Nikki Macdonald, Liberal
- Hannah Hodson, Conservative
- John Randal Phipps, People’s Party of Canada
- Janis Zroback, Communist Party of Canada
- Jordan Reichert, Animal Protection Party of Canada
Polls in Greater Victoria closed at 7 p.m.
READ MORE: Victoria candidates speak out on housing, climate and COVID-19
READ MORE: Election 2021 – Who are your Greater Victoria candidates?
READ MORE: Victoria Electoral District
Where you can vote:
To find out your local poll location, visit the Elections Canada website and type in your street address. Alternatively, Canadians can look at your voter registration card. Voters can only visit their specified polling location.
Elections Canada has warned that due to staffing shortages from the pandemic, some voters may experience a wait to cast their ballot.
Masks are mandatory in polling locations, but proof of vaccine is not required.
READ MORE: A guide to casting your federal election ballot in Greater Victoria
For Elections Canada’s FAQ page for questions such as what kind of identification to bring, click here.
Check out our website and Facebook page for full coverage of the results once polls close.
The polls are open to 7 p.m. in #yyj for the federal election today! #elxn44 @VictoriaNews pic.twitter.com/Pi2Er7vh5J
— C. van Reeuwyk (@van_reeuwyk) September 20, 2021
Â
Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
