Polls open for election day in Manitoba, a stormy one in the south

It's election day in Manitoba, and polls are open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. for voters to choose the 43rd government to lead the province.

There are 866,609 people registered on the voters list, Elections Canada said, and more than 200,000 of them cast ballots in advance polls from Sept. 23 to 30, setting a new record.

The next highest total was in 2019, when there were 112,814 advance voters.

Just before the polls opened, the skies did, too. A series of thunderstorms are rolling through parts of southern Manitoba, which could affect the number of people that get out early to their polling stations.

"I hope people do come out, brave the weather, bring their ID and come exercise their democratic right and vote," said Mike Ambrose, spokesperson for Elections Manitoba. 

"It was beautiful during advance [voting] and I hope that same energy from the voters' perspective carries through today."

The storm has already caused some power outages, including a large swath in the city of Selkirk, just north of Winnipeg.

If a power outage impacts any electronic voting machines, polling places have the ability to switch to a manual ballot box, Ambrose said.

If the electronic system is working as it should, for the first time in Manitoba voters can cast their ballot at any polling place in their electoral division (ED).

"This is something that the technology allows for now," Ambrose said. "Having the electronic voters list means that everyone's name is at every poll in their ED, as opposed to the specific table that had the piece of paper with their name on it."

However, if the electronic system is impacted, people will be required to go to the polling place listed on their voter information cards as that is where the paper system will have them listed.

The incumbent Progressive Conservative Party, under leader Heather Stefanson, is aiming for a third consecutive term after winning the 2016 and 2019 elections.

Stefanson, however, was not at the helm of the party for either of those elections.

She became the province's first female premier in November 2021, when she won a leadership race to replace Brian Pallister.