Day 1 of advance voting sees long lines at Metro Vancouver polling stations

Some voters in Metro Vancouver reported long lineups on the first day of advance voting on Friday.

While general voting day for the federal election is April 28, voters are able to cast their ballot early over four days starting Friday.

Some voters told CBC News on Friday that they were in line for over two hours at a polling station in Vancouver's West End. Meanwhile, a voter in Langley, B.C., said she waited in the longest line she had seen for advance voting in her life.

"Hopefully it's a sign of things to come, and a sign of things for change," said Barb Stoll, who was at Douglas Park Elementary School in the Metro Vancouver suburb.

CBC News reporters in Surrey, B.C., and in the Vancouver-Granville riding also reported long lines, with a lineup at the Royal Canadian Legion branch in the Fairview area stretching around the block.

In response to a question from CBC News about whether turnout was higher than expected on Friday, a spokesperson for Elections Canada said there were many factors at play, and they could not definitively comment.

"The long weekend, students being 'home' from university/college, weather, and just the general 'climate' of politics at any given time all factor in to advance poll turnout," the spokesperson wrote.

"With four days — a total of 48 hours — of advance voting, we are confident that every Canadian who wants to vote during this time will be able to cast their vote in a timely manner."

For those who want to avoid lines, advance polling stations are usually busiest between 10 a.m. and noon, according to Elections Canada. The busy period continues between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., but traffic typically slows after that.

Richard Johnston, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of British Columbia, said advance voting has become more popular in recent years.

"People are not necessarily in town on Election Day. People are worried about queues on Election Day," he said. "And so there is a long-term trend starting in the U.S., but spreading, certainly, around the world."

How to vote in advance

Registered voters can cast an early ballot at their assigned polling station between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. from April 18-21.

Your voter information card, which registered voters should have received in the mail by April 11, will tell you where your assigned polling station is for advance voting (your election day station could be at a different address.)

Registered voters can also search for their advance polling station here or call Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868. 

Unlike provincial elections when you can vote at any polling station in your province, during a federal election, you must vote at your assigned station. 

WATCH | How to vote early:

How to vote early

5 days ago

Duration 1:12

If you'll be away on election day, April 28, you have some options to vote early. CBC's Avneet Dhillon breaks down three options: voting during the advance polls, voting at an Elections Canada office and voting by mail.

You can also vote by mail or in person by special ballot at your nearest Elections Canada office until 6 p.m. on April 22.

The long lines on Friday came just a couple of weeks after a municipal byelection in Vancouver saw voters wait up to three hours to cast their ballots.

Vancouver's city manager later apologized for the lineups, saying they had underestimated the turnout for the byelection.