Like the rest of the country, North Okanagan-Shuswap voters are turning out in force at advance polls.
Elections Canada released preliminary numbers Wednesday, showing that Canada-wide, 3.6 million electors had voted at the advance polls – a 71 per cent increase over the 2,100,855 advance voters in 2011 during the last federal election.
In the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding, 16,213 voters cast an advance ballot over the Thanksgiving weekend – about a 50 per cent increase over 2011 when the unofficial number was 8,265.
Lineups could be seen at the Salmon Arm advance poll throughout the weekend.
Elections Canada notes the increase countrywide is due in part to an additional advance voting day on Sunday, offered for the first time. However, its news release also points out: “Over 850,000 Canadians voted on Friday and over 1.2 million on Monday, representing the two busiest days of advance voting ever.”
In an interview with Elections Canada media rep Susan Friend during the 2011 election, she said the advance poll numbers aren’t indicative of what’s going to happen on election day.
She noted that even though advance polls in B.C. saw high numbers, they translated into only 10 per cent of the vote.
“Traditionally it’s not an indicator of anything,” she said.