6,000 votes cast so far in Thunder Bay-Superior North

THUNDER BAY — The returning officer for Thunder Bay-Superior North said Monday he was impressed by turnout at advance polls in the riding.

Approximately 6,000 ballots were cast in the riding up to Monday afternoon, Julio Gomes told Newswatch, adding that's about 11 per cent of registered electors.

“Generally we’re very impressed with the turnout, especially at the returning office where we’ve had special ballot voting available since Day 1,” Gomes said.

“And even after the end of the advance polls on Saturday, we continue to see a good turnout here at the returning office because people still can vote up until Wednesday.

“And then on Thursday, of course, it’s election day and you would have to go to your designated voting location.”

Voting locations can be found at elections.on.ca and on the voter information cards Elections Ontario sent out earlier this month, he said.

Special ballot voting is available at returning offices from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and until 6 p.m. Wednesday.

At each riding’s returning office, Gomes said, “we have assistive voting technology available for those electors who have difficulty going to a regular poll. We would ask them to call the returning office to make an appointment.

“And on Thursday at the returning office only, assistive voting technology is available.”

The Thunder Bay-Superior North office is located in the County Fair Mall at 1020 Dawson Road in the city. Thunder Bay-Atikokan’s returning office is in Agnew H. Johnston School, 145 Churchill Dr. W.

As in 2022, Kenora-Rainy River’s election office is at the Ukrainian Hall on Fourth Street N. in Kenora. Kiiwetinoong’s is at the Sunset Inn and Suites on First Avenue in Sioux Lookout.

A news release Monday from the provincial election agency said preliminary figures show that 678,789 voters cast their ballot over three days of advance voting in the Ontario general election, representing 6.14 per cent of eligible voters in Ontario.

That’s a marked change from 2022, when 1,066,545 (9.92 per cent) voted over 10 days. It’s also less than the 698,609 ballots over five days of advance voting in 2018.

Thunder Bay-Superior North, which includes about half of Thunder Bay and stretches east to include Ginoogaming First Nation and Marathon, saw 3,392 – or about 6.18 per cent of registered voters – vote in the Feb. 20-22 advance polls.

In Thunder Bay-Atikokan the numbers were 2,802, which represents 4.62 per cent of registered electors, according to Elections Ontario.

Kiiwetinoong advance polls saw 495 voters, or 2.4 per cent of registered electors. Kenora-Rainy River had 2,062, about 5.9 per cent of registered voters.

Voter information cards are intended to make the process easier on election day, but they are not a requirement to vote. Every Canadian citizen who is 18 years of age or older on Feb. 27 and who is an Ontario resident is eligible to vote.