Fewer polling stations could cause backed up lines, with the most drastic difference to be seen in Toronto Centre
Eleven ridings in the Greater Toronto Area will see fewer than half the number of polling stations open on election day compared to 2019, Elections Canada confirmed with CBC News.
The most drastic difference can be seen in Toronto Centre. In the previous 2019 election, 91 polling sites were open. This election, there will only be 15 polling sites open, marking the largest reduction in locations for any riding across Canada.
Given that Toronto Centre is one of the most populous ridings per square kilometre in Canada, voters in the downtown core could be looking at longer wait times than expected.
Eighteen of the 20 federal ridings with the largest reduction in polling stations on election day are in Ontario. Another four ridings — Whitby, Brampton North, Ajax and Scarborough Centre — will have more than 40 per cent fewer polling stations open on Monday as well.
John Beebe, founder of the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Ryerson talked to CBC News, cautioning that voting will likely take longer than expected on Monday and saying voters should be patient.
This news comes after Elections Canada did not offer the Vote on Campus program this year.
Over 21,000 people signed an online petition organized by students calling for the Vote on Campus program to be renewed.
Twitter user @bkolisniak expressed her displeasure in the decision to cancel Vote on Campus, tweeting a photo showing the 30-minute commute it would take for her to cast her ballot.
This one goes out to Elections Canada for not only removing the Vote on Campus program this year, but also for putting UBCO’s advance poll all the way up in Lake Country, which is in the *opposite* direction of Kelowna. Many of us don’t have vehicles. pic.twitter.com/bSaBUvz5D9
— Bethany Kolisniak 🌈 (@bkolisniak) September 12, 2021
Voters can find polling stations in their riding on the Elections Canada website.
