Voter turnout was significantly higher on the first day of advance voting in the 2016 Saskatchewan election compared to the last election. Elections Saskatchewan says 24,602 people cast a ballot on Tuesday.
That compares to 16,096 on the first day of advance voting in the 2011 provincial election.
However it didn’t all go smoothly.
There were some lineups at voting locations, mainly in urban locations, and 24 teams of election workers were called in to meet the demands.
“We had expected some voters to be anxious to cast their ballot and show up to vote the minute the doors opened at 3:00 on the first day,” Dr. Michael Boda, chief electoral officer of Saskatchewan, said in a release.
“We had planned for an increased advance poll turnout as this is the first provincial election where advance voting is open to everyone—not just voters who won’t be in their home constituency on election day.”
FULL COVERAGE: Decision Saskatchewan 2016
Boda is encouraging people taking advantage of advance voting to avoid the rush experienced during the first hour the polls are open.
Advance voting continues today through to Friday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time and again on Saturday between noon and 7 p.m.
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