(file photo/CKOM News Staff)

By Tyler Marr

GET OUT THE VOTE

Advance poll turnout up 53% in Battlefords-Lloydminster over 2015

Oct 18, 2019 | 5:00 PM

The surge in voter turnout nationally in advance polls for the 2019 election was not only mirrored locally but surpassed.

Data from Elections Canada made public Friday shows 8,734 votes were cast in advance polls in Battlefords-Lloydminster.

That is a 53 per cent jump from 4,687 ballots stuffed in boxes in the 2015 early voting days.

Provincially, the number of voters who turned out between Oct. 11 and 14 is up 61 per cent, with 149,043 ballots counted this year as opposed to 91,891 in 2015.

On Tuesday, Elections Canada said over 4.7 million people cast a ballot at advance polls – an increase of 29 per cent over 2015.

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Joe Garcea, a professor of political science at the University of Saskatchewan said the high numbers are likely a combination of factors like engagement, longer hours and flexibility over the long weekend.

For those who haven’t cast a ballot, election day is Oct. 21.

— with files from 650 CKOM

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr