Poilievre’s Carleton riding sees highest voter turnout in Canada during advance polls

People make their way to and from an advance polling station in Ottawa, on Friday, April 18, 2025. Advance polls opened Friday for voters to cast their ballot in the federal election ahead of the April 28 official election day. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

The Ottawa riding with one of the longest ballots in history had the highest voter turnout across Canada in advance polls, according to Elections Canada.

Preliminary data shows 43,394 people voted in the riding of Carleton during the four days of advance polls over the Easter weekend.

There are 91 candidates on the ballot in the riding of Carleton, after the Longest Ballot Committee targeted the Ottawa riding. Eighty-five of the candidates registered to run in Carleton are associated with the electoral reform group ‘The Longest Ballot Committee’ and all have the same official agent – Tomas Szuchewycz.

• Record voter turnout in advance polls ahead of federal election

The Longest Ballot Committee protests Canada’s first-past-the-post system. On its Bluesky account, the group says it is “having fun breaking records while pointing out that politicians shouldn’t be in charge of their own ethics and election rules.”

The Carleton ballot includes Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who has held the riding since 2004. The Liberal Party candidate is Bruce Fanjoy and the NDP candidate is Beth Prokaska.

A record number of Canadians cast a ballot during four days of advance voting over the Easter long weekend.

• Here’s what you need to know about the federal election in Ottawa, eastern Ontario and western Quebec

Elections Canada says an estimated 7.28 million people cast a ballot during advance polls April 18 to 21. The previous record for voters at advance polls was 5.8 million ballots cast during the 2021 federal election.

Here is a look at the number of ballots cast in Ottawa ridings during the four days of advance polls:

• Carleton: 43,394
• Kanata: 28,891
• Nepean: 32,689
• Orleans: 27,873
• Ottawa Centre: 32,604
• Ottawa South: 25,123
• Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester: 22,620
• Ottawa West-Nepean: 24,977
• Prescott-Russell-Cumberland: 28,452

The 10 ridings across Canada with the highest number of votes cast during advance polls:

• Carleton: 43,394
• Saanich—Gulf Islands: 37,468
• Essex: 34,668
• Calgary Crowfoot: 33,743
• Nepean: 32,689
• Ottawa Centre: 32,604
• Courtenay—Alberni: 32,536
• Burlington: 31,868
• Northumberland—Clarke: 31,357
• South Surrey – White Rock: 31,269

Voting day is Monday, with polling stations in Ottawa open between 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.

According to Elections Canada, 17.2 million people cast ballots in the 2021 federal election. Voter turnout was 62.6 per cent in 2021, down from 67 per cent in 2019.