VANCOUVER, Oct 8: Voters in Vancouver have set a new record for single-day advance voting in the city’s municipal election, with more than 25,000 people casting their ballots on Wednesday.
According to figures released by the City of Vancouver, an estimated 25,142 voters participated in advance voting on October 7, surpassing the previous single-day record of 21,824 votes recorded just four days earlier on October 3.
The strong turnout marks a significant increase compared with the previous municipal election in 2022. The city said advance voting on October 3 was 196 per cent higher than the corresponding first day of advance voting in 2022, while Wednesday’s turnout was 139 per cent higher than the comparable voting day four years ago.
The latest figures indicate a sharp rise in the number of Vancouver residents choosing to vote before the main polling day. In the 2022 municipal election, 65,127 people voted during the advance voting period, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the total turnout.
Despite the unusually high number of voters on Wednesday, city officials said expanded voting arrangements helped manage the crowds. Vancouver has provided a larger number of advance polling locations and increased the size of several voting centres compared with previous elections, helping keep waiting times under control.
Advance voting will continue in Vancouver on Saturday, October 10, and Tuesday, October 13, giving residents additional opportunities to cast their ballots ahead of election day.
The municipal general election is scheduled for Saturday, October 17. Polling stations across Vancouver will remain open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Other municipalities in the region, including Surrey, Burnaby and New Westminster, also held advance voting on Wednesday. However, turnout figures from those municipalities had not been released at the time of reporting.
The record advance turnout comes as Vancouver heads into the final phase of the municipal election, with voters continuing to use early voting options before the October 17 election day.