Alberta election: Record level of advance voting in the province

Elections Alberta said more than 758,000 ballots were cast at advance polls this year, breaking a record that was set in 2019.

The provincial election administrator said the advance voter count was 758,550 after advance polls closed Saturday evening. This is 8.29 per cent more votes compared with numbers from 2019 — a total of 700,476 were cast in advance polls that year, according to a chief electoral officer report published in March 2020.

This year’s advance voter numbers also represent a little more than 27 per cent of registered voters on the pre-election list. In 2019, more than 26 per cent of registered voters on the pre-election list voted in advance.

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In 2019, Glen Resler, chief electoral officer, said, “The turnout at advance polls was record-breaking, with almost triple the number of votes cast at the advance polls than in the 2015 general election.”

The advance polls were open from Tuesday, May 23 until Saturday, May 27. Voters using advance polls were allowed to cast their votes at any advanced voting location.

Electronic voting tabulators were used for the first time at advance polling locations this year, which Elections Alberta said were essential due to 87 different electoral divisions.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Election Alberta said they expected between 700,000 and 1 million electors during the advance voting period.

“We are very pleased with the record-breaking turnout yesterday during the first day of advance voting,” the spokesperson said.

Voters who did not cast their ballots at advance polls will be able to vote on election day on Monday, May 29.

Global News reached out to Elections Alberta with a request for comment.

— with files from Destiny Meilleur, Global News.