Advance voting rate jumps 60% in New Brunswick

New Brunswick's voter turn out in the advance polls surged by 60.8 per cent above the 2011 level, as more than 100,000 people showed up to cast their ballots early, according to Elections Canada.

The elections agency released new numbers on Thursday, showing 113,185 voters turned out over the four days of early voting this month.

Elections Canada said 70,361 New Brunswickers voted in the advance polls in 2011.

Many people complained about long lineups at those advance polls. 

Elections Canada spokesperson Francoise Enguehard says there are more steps involved when someone votes at an advance poll, and that made the process a little slower.

"There is a form that has to be filled, you have to be put on the list, your name, your address has to be written, you have to sign and then, and only then, can you go and start the process of showing ID, getting a ballot and voting," she said.

Enguehard says on election day there will be more polling stations and more people working at them, and the process itself will be simpler — but that doesn't mean there won't be lineups.

"Now, if everybody in your polling station decides to go vote at the same time," said Enguehard, "it's possible that people will have to wait. But, the situation you know will be completely different and things will flow more smoothly".

Advance polls by the numbers

Beauséjour had the highest turnout with 15,664 voters, according to Elections Canada.

Liberal Dominic LeBlanc, who is seeking his sixth term as MP for the southeastern riding, was the only Liberal elected in New Brunswick in the 2011 election.

He has maintained a high profile with the federal Liberals and he's managed to bring in Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and former prime minister Jean Chretien to his riding during the campaign.

The next three New Brunswick ridings with high voter turnout were:

• Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe: 13,770 votes
• Acadie-Bathurst: 12,098 votes
• Fredericton: 12,041 votes.

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe was the closest race in New Brunswick in 2011 as Conservative Robert Goguen won the riding with 37 per cent of the vote. The Liberals and NDP all had more than 30 per cent of the vote in the riding.

The northeastern riding of Acadie-Bathurst is shaping up to be another interesting race after long-time NDP MP Yvon Godin retired from federal politics.

Jason Godin is hoping to retain the seat for the NDP, while Liberal Serge Cormier is tapping into the party's support from last year's provincial election to help him win the riding for the Grits.

The lowest New Brunswick advance poll turnout was in New Brunswick Southwest with 12,041 ballots being cast. 

Conservative candidate John Williamson is seeking re-election, against Liberal Karen Ludwig, NDP candidate Andrew Graham and Green candidate Gayla MacIntosh.

The rise in advance voters mirrors the national trend.

Elections Canada has already reported that 3.6 million electors have voted early in the federal election.

The advance polls were held across the country from Oct. 9 to Oct. 12.

The 3.6 million voters is a 71-per-cent increase from the 2,100,855 electors, who voted in the 2011 general election.

More than 850,000 Canadians voted on Oct. 9 and more than 1.2 million on Oct. 12, representing the two busiest days of advance voting ever.

Elections Canada says the increase was due in part to an additional advance voting day on Sunday, offered for the first time.