Monday’s federal election appears to have sparked the interest of local residents.
Preliminary data from Elections Canada shows voter turnout in the newly expanded riding of Chatham-Kent-Leamington was 68.04%, not including those who registered on election day. In all, 72,365 out of 106,351 registered voters took part in the election.
That compares to roughly 59% in the 2021 federal election, the lowest voter turnout since 2008.
CKL’s numbers are slightly above the national turnout, with 67.15% of registered electors casting a ballot.
Elections Canada staff have resumed counting special ballots, but some key ridings have yet to be called, which could determine whether Prime Minister Mark Carney will be leading a majority or minority government.