A federal election polling station is pictured in Vernon, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. Voter participation across the Okanagan was slightly higher than the national average this election but lower than it was in 2015.
(HOWARD ALEXANDER - NEWS EDITOR / iNFOnews.ca)
October 22, 2019 - 3:30 PM
Voter participation across the Okanagan was slightly higher than the national average this election but lower than it was in 2015.
Nationwide, roughly 66 percent of eligible voters — or 17.9 million of a potential 27 million registered electors — cast ballots in the federal election yesterday, Oct. 21. Across the Okanagan, it was about 66 per cent.
It wasn’t as high a turnout as expected, given that nationally, advanced poll turnout was about 29 per cent.
In the riding of Kelowna-Lake Country 67,865 of 99,992 voters showed up at the polls. That’s 67.9 per cent, not including electors who registered on Election Day. That’s a dip from the 70.6 per cent who turned out to vote in 2015.
Of those who voted, 22,150 cast a ballot for incumbent Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr. More, however, voted for Tracy Gray who got 31,037 votes. Justin Kulik got 12.1 per cent of the vote with 8,229 and Green Party got 7.4 per cent of the vote with 5,025.
In the South Okanagan-West Kootenay 66,761 of 98,589 voters cast a ballot amounting to 67,72 per cent voter turnout. The last election 73 per cent cast a ballot.
Richard Cannings got 24,304 of their votes with 36.4 per cent of the vote while his closest competitor Helena Konanz got 23,508 for 35.2 per cent of the vote.
In the riding of Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola 63,436 of 94,331 registered electors or 67 per cent, cast a ballot. Conservative incumbent MP Dan Albas was the clear winner.
In the North Okanagan-Shuswap, 73,273 of 106,601 electors cast a ballot, which is around 68.7 per cent, down from 72 per cent in 2015.
This election there was increased voter eligibility with long-term expats living abroad able to vote courtesy of a Supreme Court ruling.
Current figures do not include people who registered on Election Day.
In 2015, more than 17.7 million Canadians, or 68.3 per cent of eligible voters, cast ballots — amounting to the highest voter turnout in 25 years. It was up from 14.8-million or 61.1 per cent 2011.
The lowest turnout was just one election earlier, in 2008, when 58.8 per cent of voters turned out.
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