The sun was still shining on Friday (Sept. 10) evening as a steady stream of Victoria residents arrived at Central Middle School to cast their votes early.
The Jubilee-area polling station wasn’t alone as locations across B.C. saw a good number of voters show up to cast their ballots on the federal election’s first day of advanced voting. Advance polls are open across the province from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Friday, Sept. 10 to Monday, Sept. 13.
“There was great turnout today,” Elections Canada spokeswoman Andrea Marantz told Black Press Media. “Some places had lineups, but the lines looked worse than they were because we are requiring physical distancing.”
It’s too early to know just how many Canadians showed up for the first day of early voting, but Marantz says advance polling stations have become steadily more popular over the years.
“Most people are expecting that the numbers (of early voters) will increase,” she said.
In 2017, 599,225 B.C. residents voted in the provincial election. That number increased to 671,231 in 2020, leading officials to predict similar upticks in future provincial and federal elections.
READ MORE: Victoria, Saanich-Gulf Islands ridings lead for mail-in ballot requests
When asked which times voters should arrive to avoid long lines, Marantz recommended steering clear of the early morning and after-dinner rushes.
“It’s like on polling day — there are times where it’s going to be much busier.”
You can find the address of your polling station on the back of your voter information card, by visiting the Elections Canada website at elections.ca or by calling them at 1-800-463-6868.
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