Nearly 85K Ottawans have already voted in the city's election

More Ottawans voted in advance polls or via special mail-in ballots this year than in the city's two previous municipal elections, according to numbers released Sunday by the city.

With expanded voting options in place for 2022, 84,630 residents — or roughly 11.7 per cent of eligible voters in the city — have already cast their ballots.

The 60,615 people who voted on two advance voting days on Oct. 7 and Oct. 14 amounted to a roughly 50 per cent increase over the 41,163 who cast ballots on the single advance voting day in 2018 and the 39,338 who did so in 2014.

Elections Ottawa also held four "special advance voting days" from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27 where eligible voters could drop by any of nine locations across the city. Another 18,867 people cast ballots those days, the city said.

The city had also processed 5,148 mail-in ballots as of Oct. 13.

Elections Ottawa considered the city's "diverse geography" when it planned advance voting options, said Michèle Rochette, manager of municipal elections with the City of Ottawa.

The city wanted to ensure "equitable access to voting places for all electors in every ward," Rochette said in an email.

University of Ottawa political scientist Daniel Stockemer previously told CBC he believes the two main factors driving increased interest in this election are the competitiveness of the mayoral race and the highly "politicized environment" in Ottawa following this winter's convoy occupation.

Stockemer estimated the city could see turnout as high as 60 per cent, well above the 42.2 per cent who voted in the 2018 Ottawa municipal election.

Election day is Monday, Oct. 24.