Eastern Ontario eclipses national turnout rate again

It looks like the riding of Carleton edged out Ottawa Centre for the voter turnout crown in the National Capital Region.

Unofficial numbers provided by Elections Canada Tuesday morning show 77.4 per cent of eligible voters in Carleton cast a ballot, 1.3 per cent higher than the turnout in Ottawa Centre and a full 11.4 per cent higher than the national average of 66 percent.

In fact, voter turnout in nine of the 10 ridings in Eastern Ontario was above the national average, with the lone exception being Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, where turnout reached just 62.9 per cent.

The four ridings in the Outaouais combined for a voter turnout of 65.2 per cent.

National turnout down from 2015

Carleton's turnout pales in comparison Ottawa Centre's achievement in the 2015 federal election when the riding led all of Canada in voter turnout with 82.2 per cent of eligible voters casting a ballot.

For the second consecutive general election, the riding of Argenteuil–La Petite-Nation east of Gatineau had the lowest voter turnout in the region with just 61.9 per cent.

Expectations were high heading into Monday's vote following a 29 per cent jump in turnout at advance polls on Thanksgiving weekend, compared to the same period in 2015.

However, the unofficial numbers show the national percentage dropped from 68.4 per cent in 2015 to 66 per cent in 2019.

Elections Canada says the unofficial tally does not include electors who registered on election day.

Voter turnout by riding

• Ottawa Centre: 76.1%

• Ottawa–Vanier: 68.3%

• Ottawa South: 69.6%

• Ottawa West–Nepean: 70.2%

• Orléans: 75.6%

• Nepean: 73.2%

• Kanata–Carleton: 74.4%

• Carleton: 77.4%

• Glengarry–Prescott–Russell: 68.8%

• Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry: 62.9%

• Outaouais (4 ridings): 65.2%

• Argenteuil–La Petite-Nation: 61.9%

• Gatineau: 65.3%

• Hull–Aylmer: 66.9%

• Pontiac: 66.5%

• National: 66%