Voters line up for advance polls
Many Edmontonians get a jump on casting ballots in federal election
Edmonton voters faced lineups Monday at many advance polling stations, but most were in good humour about the high electoral engagement.
Lesley Leung, who voted in Terwillegar Towne at 1:30 p.m., saw five lineups when she arrived at Monsignor William Irwin Catholic School — four long, and one short.
“They were saying it was busier than 2011,” Leung said of some volunteers.
Leung tweeted there was an “upside” to long lines at her polling station — “great to see (Canadians) exercising their rights!”
Social media timelines were full of Edmontonians reporting on the action. “Wow! This is the longest line I’ve ever been in to vote in an election. Great mix of young and old too!” one voter said.
Elections Canada numbers from Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the first three days of advanced voting for the Oct. 19 federal election, show that across the country, Canadians were eager to get a jump on casting their ballots.
In total, 2.4 million Canadian voters marked their ballots Oct. 9, 10 and 11 — a 16-per-cent increase over the first three days of advanced polling in 2011. Broken down by day, 850,000 Canadians cast ballots on Friday, 780,000 on Saturday and 767,000 on Sunday.
Most people vote early for convenience — to avoid the lineups and a hectic work day.
But for NDP voter Dara Humniski, who voted Sunday at Victoria School of the Arts in the Edmonton-Centre riding, there was strategy at play, too.
“I hope that a lot of people vote early so that they realize people are getting out, and that they can make a difference — to try and curb apathy,” Humniski said.
Lindsay Clark said she votes in all elections — municipal, provincial and federal — but this one has particular significance.
“I absolutely wanted to vote in this particular election because I feel like our current prime minister violates our Charter of Rights and Freedoms far too frequently — in fact, he shouldn’t have to do it ever,” Clark said at Victoria School.
Elections Canada said it will make turnout figures from the whole weekend available by Wednesday, broken down by electoral district. But Leanne Nyirfa, Elections Canada spokeswoman for Alberta, said Edmonton is in line with the rest of the country in its strong showing.
“We do know that the polls have been quite steady in Edmonton,” Nyirfa said.
Such was the case on Sunday at an advanced polling station in the former Bellevue School, 11515 71st St.
A lineup at noon, when the polls opened, didn’t hinder the process — voters were in and out in about five minutes — and after that, a steady trickling of people kept officials busy without being run off their feet.
The polling station is part of Edmonton-Griesbach, a new riding created by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution.
Earle Nicholas said he is voting Conservative, citing gun control and immigration as issues he’s concerned about.
Other people had change on their minds.
“I think it comes down to anybody but Harper for us,” said Jordan Lannon, who, like Amy Zhang, plans to vote for the NDP’s Janis Irwin.
“We know who we’re going to vote for and it’s more convenient,” Zhang said, “rather than racing to go after work.”
If you didn’t make it to the polls this weekend, and won’t be free on Oct. 19, you can vote at any Elections Canada office until 6 p.m. Tuesday.