Northern Ontario sees strong advance voter turnout in 2025 federal election

Elections Canada said it saw a 25 per cent increase in the number of advanced voting in the federal election compared to 2021.

Advance polls for the 45th general election saw a significant surge in voter participation across northern Ontario, mirroring a national trend of increased early voting.

From Friday, April 18, to Monday, April 21, advance polls were open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day. Preliminary estimates from Elections Canada indicate a record 7.3 million Canadians voted in advance nationwide – a 25 per cent increase from the 5.8 million advance votes cast in the 2021 election.

Northern Ontario advanced votes

In northern Ontario ridings, turnout varied but remained robust. Sudbury led the region with 25.2 per cent of registered voters casting advance ballots, followed closely by Nipissing—Timiskaming (25.1 per cent) and Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt (24.6 per cent). Kenora—Kiiwetinoong, in northwestern Ontario, had the lowest advance turnout in the region with just 16.8 per cent.

The table below gives a full breakdown of advanced polling information for all nine northern Ontario ridings.

Nationally, Monday, April 21, saw the highest single-day advance turnout, with over 2.1 million ballots cast. Ontario saw roughly 564,000 more advance voters than in 2021, a 25 per cent increase – aligning with the broader national shift toward early voting.

Final turnout figures – including election day votes – will determine if the 2025 election surpasses 2021’s 62.6 per cent overall participation.

Historically, Canada’s highest voter turnout was 79.4 per cent in the 1958 federal election.