With just one day left to cast a ballot before election day, Windsor residents taking advantage of advance polls say they’re motivated by convenience, and a sense that the stakes are especially high this year.
“Very important to vote — very, very important to vote in this election,” said Sharon Harper, after walking out of an advanced voting station Sunday in Windsor.
The final chance to participate in advanced polling in the 2025 federal election is Monday between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
“I don’t even follow politics that much but I don’t understand people who don’t vote,” said Harper, adding she hasn’t missed an opportunity in decades to vote in an election.
Others referenced global issues and economic uncertainty as factors behind their decision to vote in advance.
Kari Scott, who also voted in the advance election period Saturday, said her decisiveness on who she would vote for motivated her to cast her ballot early.
“In the world that we’re living in right now, it’s very important for Canadians to have a voice and to speak loudly. I think it’s going to speak volumes to the strength of Canada,” she said. “Elbows up.”
Her son, Cole, said he found the voting process quick and well-organized.
“They get you in and out pretty quickly,” he said. “Seems like there’s a lot more people now than last election. So that’s a good thing.”
According to an Elections Canada spokesperson, more than 2-million Canadians voted on Friday — setting a new record for the first day of advance voting. That’s up from 1.2 million on the same day in 2021.
Maudsley said while local turnout numbers aren’t yet available, election officials across the country made several operational changes Saturday to deal with higher volumes.
“Returning officers were able to bring in additional workers to deal with any bottlenecks,” said Elections Canada regional media adviser Dugald Maudsley.
“They also used their power to split the list of electors assigned to a specific table, allowing electors to be served by more than one voting table, speeding up service.”
Voters can find their assigned advance polling location by checking their voter information card or visiting the Elections Canada website.
Election day is April 28.
