Canadians came out in in droves for Monday night's federal election and Vancouver Island was no exception.
Preliminary numbers across the country put overall national voter turnout at 68 per cent, a seven per cent increase over the 2011 election.
But here on Vancouver Island, turnout was even bigger with 76 per cent of eligible voters showing up to cast a ballot either on Mondayor at advance polls.
University of Victoria political scientist Michael Prince spoke about the increase of ballots cast in this election and says Vancouver Island voters had "a lot of anticipation, some concern, a lot of hopes and I think we had a more engaged community and an already very active population become even more active."
Here's how those numbers break down: Victoria topped the entire Island with 80 per cent of voters heading to the polls, while the riding of Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke saw a 72 per cent turnout. In Green Party Leader Elizabeth May’s home riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands, 77 per cent voted.
Cowichan-Malahat-Langford had a 78 per cent turnout while the Island’s largest ridingof Nanaimo-Ladysmith saw 73 per cent of eligible ballots cast. Meanwhile, 76 per cent of voters turned out in Courtney-Alberni and the North Island-Powell River riding saw a 74 per cent turnout.
According to Elections Canada yesterday saw the greatest voter turnout in a federal election since 1993.
