A record 7.3 million Canadians voted in advance polls

OTTAWA — The Easter long weekend saw a record 7.3 million Canadians vote in advance polls, according to preliminary data from Elections Canada. That is a 25 per cent increase from the 5.8 million voters who voted early in the 2021 general election, said the agency responsible for handling elections. The new number is, however, only an estimate, as some polls may not have been reported yet, it said. Advance polls were open Friday to Monday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m, coinciding with most Canadians having at least a three-day weekend. Elections Canada had previously reported a record turnout of more than two million Canadians voting on Friday alone, which was an increase of 36 per cent over the corresponding figures for the first day of advance polls in the 2021 election. Reacting to the news, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said it is “really exciting” that more people are voting early and said he wants to see an even bigger turnout on election day. Singh made a pitch to voters in British Columbia — where he has spent the last few days in an attempt to save half his incumbent seats — to send more NDP MPs to Ottawa. He also reiterated his call to hold the balance of power to a re-elected Liberal government. “You have the power to determine whether (Liberal Leader) Mark Carney will have all the power, or whether there’ll be New Democrats who are there in strong numbers to fight, to defend what you care about,” Singh said during a press conference in Vancouver. Elections Canada is set to publish a breakdown of the estimated number of people who voted at the advance polls for all 343 electoral districts by the end of the week. The federal election will take place Monday, April 28. National Post calevesque@postmedia.com

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