Official advance voting numbers for Guelph released by Elections Canada show an increase in the number of voters versus the advance polls during the 2015 federal election.
On Friday, Elections Canada reported that 16,973 people cast a ballot in Guelph during the recent advance polls. That is up from 13,703 advance poll voters in the 2015 contest.
Advance voting participation was up nationally, said Susan Dickert, returning officer for Guelph.
That trend was reflected in the local numbers, she said.
Advance polls were open Friday to Monday from 9 a.m to 9 p.m.
“It was very busy,” said Dickert of the local advance poll voting.
In the adjacent riding of Wellington — Halton Hills, at total of 18,369 people voted in the advance polls for the current election.
Across Canada, 4,774,963 people voted in the advance polls for the current election. That is a 29 per cent increase over the 3,657,415 people who voted in the advance polls in 2015.
"More and more, Canadians are taking advantage of early voting opportunities to cast their ballots," says Stéphane Perrault, Canada’s chief electoral officer . "Having extended voting hours at advance polls gave Canadians more flexibility to use this option. I want to thank returning officers for their careful planning and the thousands of election workers who made that possible."
A total of 69,868 voters cast ballots locally in the 2015 federal election.
Elections Canada staff across the country are gearing up for Monday’s general election. For more information about your local polling station, click here.
