Sask. advance poll turnout up 20% from 2019: Elections Canada

Nearly 31,000 more people in Saskatchewan voted in advance polls for the federal election this year than in 2019, according to data estimates from Elections Canada. 

Advance polls for the 2021 federal election opened across Canada on Friday, running through the weekend and closing on Monday. Over the four days, more than 182,000 people in Saskatchewan showed up to cast their ballots — a 20 per cent increase from 2019, Elections Canada says.

While some political leaders have called this an unnecessary and unwanted election, Howard Leeson, a political science professor emeritus from the University of Regina, says the advance turnout numbers contradict some of those claims. 

"The increase in the advance polls … indicates that people are just as interested in this election as others," he said. 

Leeson said there isn't much research into poll turnout, and it's tough to predict how many people will come out for election day on Sept. 20 — especially this year. 

"I think we're in a special circumstance because of the COVID pandemic and some people, at least, were probably trying to avoid voting at polling stations that might be crowded," he said. 

"If that's the case … then we might actually see an average or below average turnout — but my sense, though, is that that's not the case."