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Few lineups for voters in Calgary

Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt said the lack of lineups at the polls today is likely an indication of low voter turnout as a whole, something that's been seen across the country during pandemic-time elections

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Voters in one of Calgary’s most hotly contested ridings cast their ballots with relative ease Monday afternoon, as fears of long lineups and waits due to COVID-19 safety protocols failed to materialize.

By the time polls closed at 7:30 p.m., there had been no reports of problems with lineups at polling stations. Anyone in line when polls closed was allowed to cast their vote.

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Linda Sehn, who cast her ballot in the Calgary Skyview riding at Coventry Hills School, said she wanted a change in leadership in Ottawa.

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“We’re in such a huge deficit right now and that really bothers me, so I’d like to see that taken control of a little bit more,” she said.

Justin St. Cyr said he wants new leadership who will not enforce vaccine mandates.

“It just is not sitting right with me and I think it’s important for us to move into a less tyrannical direction, and I think there’s candidates that qualify to help us move in that direction,” he said.

For St. Cyr, getting the economy back on its feet, provincially and federally, is a priority.

“We need to be able to start recovering and heading into a more open direction so that businesses can do what they need to do.”

While voting appeared orderly across the city, disruptions were observed at some polling stations Monday.

In Calgary Confederation, poll workers were confronted by a woman and a man who refused to comply with masking rules.

“I don’t wear a mask. I’m going to vote. Stop harassing me,” the woman said loudly.

The two were ultimately permitted to vote without masks.

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According to the Elections Canada website, voters were encouraged to wear masks and practice physical distancing when voting but masks were mandatory for poll workers, as were physical distancing markers and hand sanitizing stations.

Calgarians vote in the federal election at the Chinese Cultural Centre on Monday.
Calgarians vote in the federal election at the Chinese Cultural Centre on Monday. Gavin Young/Postmedia

Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt said he’d heard from students in a morning lecture that their voting experience early in the day was easy, as was to be expected.

But he added the lack of lineups at the polls is likely an indication of low voter turnout, something that’s been seen across the country during pandemic-time elections.

“Yes, I know, more people voted in advance polls than they did in 2019, but more people voted in advance polls in 2019 than in 2015. And more people voted in advance polls in 2015 than they did 2011. There’s no correlation between advance polls and what the overall voter turnout will be,” he said.

“Elections Canada was surprised how little uptake there was with mail-in votes and that may be because we have pretty good advance polls. (But) we’ll see the impact on voter turnout . . . I would not be optimistic that it’s higher than 2019, even though it’s a competitive election.”

— With files from Meghan Potkins

ocondon@postmedia.com

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