Nearly 38,000 votes were cast during advanced polling days in three crucial federal byelections, Chief Electoral Officer, Stéphane Perrault, estimates.
Advanced polling was open for four days, starting last Friday, in the ridings of Scarborough Southwest (Ontario), Terrebonne (Quebec) and University–Rosedale (Ontario).
Preliminary figures show some 37,900 electors voted at the advance polls, with the highest turnout in Terrebonne (18,200), followed by Scarborough Southwest (10,300) and University-Rosedale (9,400).
Elections Canada stressed in a release that “this is an estimate,” noting that some polls may not have reported yet.
The Scarborough-southwest seat is up for grabs after Bill Blair resigned in February to take on the role of Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom.
In University-Rosedale, Chrystia Freeland resigned in January to serve as an adviser to Ukraine and CEO of the Rhodes Trust at Oxford University.
Terrebonne, Quebec will also have a byelection following an issue with a mail-in ballot last year.
It comes after Liberal Tatiana Auguste was initially declared the winner, before the result flipped to Bloc Québécois’ Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné after the votes went through a validation process. A judicial recount completed on May 10, however, concluded the Liberals received one more vote than Sinclair-Desgagné.
Sinclair-Desgagné then challenged the results after a supporter complained that she had tried to vote by mail using a special ballot that was never counted. On February 13, the Supreme Court sided with the Bloc candidate and invalidated the results.
After multiple floor-crossings in recent months, the Liberals are in a position to gain a majority if they win two of the three ridings in play. Both Toronto ridings have been Liberal strongholds in the past.
The election is set for April 13.