MONTREAL – A campaign that started in mid-summer is finally nearing to an end. And as families gather for the holiday, the talk is all about voting.
“It took me exactly 48 minutes,” said one resident.
Some residents at an advance polling station in the Pierrefonds area of Montreal complained only a single voting booth was set up – causing long wait times.
A spokesperson for Elections Canada explained it’s illegal to set up extra desks when it’s busy.
“Last election, there’s was well in excess of 66,000 polling sites on Election Day and under 5,000 for advance polls,” said James Hale of Elections Canada.
“That’s just the way the system is set up under legislation.”
READ MORE: Record turnout creates aggravation at advanced polls
Saturday alone had about 780,000 Canadians voting in advance polls; on Sunday, 767, 000 voted.
In three days, over 2.4 million people cast their ballot.
“We were told for our station it was over an hour wait,” said one Pierrefonds resident.
Advance polls take a little longer because voters have to sign their name against their address and identity – an extra step that isn’t required on voting day.
While some were upset about the long waits, others showed up trying to make a statement.
One resident told Global News that because we live in Quebec, citizens should conform to Quebec values and take off their niqab.
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Voters have been showing up to polling stations with their faces covered to call attention to the niqab debate, which has dominated much of the election.
“He’s got his hands in his t-shirt, so you go there,” one woman said motioning to one protester.
“You go there in your mind, does he have a gun?”
“If she’s nervous with me, she’s gonna be nervous with a niqab woman,” the protester said.
As the longest election campaign in Canadian history comes to an end, some voters said they’ve just about had enough.
“I just want to get it over with,” one resident said.
“I’m tired of hearing of it.”
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