ADVANCE POLLS DO BRISK BUSINESS COMPARED TO LAST ELECTION

Canadian voters were an eager bunch during the long weekend. More than 1.6 million Canadians are estimated to have cast ballots during the first two days of advance polls, which opened Friday and continued until Monday night. That’s a 34 per cent increase from the 1.2 million who voted during the first two days of advance polls in the 2011 federal election, according to Elections Canada. About 850,000 voted Friday, a 26 per cent increase from the first day of advance polls in 2011, and a 90 per cent increase from 2008. Another 780,000 cast ballots Saturday. Figures for Sunday and Monday are expected later, but a total figure is likely to surpass the two million who voted in three days of advance polling in 2011. There were reports of delays of several hours at some polls throughout the country. However, other regions reported no problems. Sylvia Heuckendorff walked out of a Montreal advance poll and said she was delighted her experience. “It took me two seconds,” she said. Elections Canada spokeswoman Nathalie de Montigny said Elections Canada prepared for a higher-than-usual turnout for the first day, but added the volume of people who showed up Friday “exceeded our expectations.”