Elections Canada says advance polling in Nova Scotia went 'very well'
Elections Canada says despite the problems, this weekend's advance vote went "very well when you consider the number of people who voted."
Françoise Enguehard, the Atlantic spokesperson for Elections Canada, expects things to go even better on election day.
Officials say more than 3.6 million Canadians cast ballots over four days of advance polls during the Thanksgiving long weekend.
During the last federal election in 2011, Elections Canada said 2.1 million Canadians cast ballots over three days of advance polls.
In Nova Scotia, there were long lines at some polling locations and practically none at others. For example, at a station on Almon Street in Halifax, some voters waited hours to mark their ballots.
Enguehard said it takes longer to vote during an advance poll because of the paperwork involved. She said voters won't have to deal with that on election day, so people should be able to vote faster.
"Provided people have the proper identification, things should go smoothly," she said.
"There will be a fast lane for people who know they have the right information, know they're on the list and know exactly where to go so we're expecting things to go smooth."
Advance polling more popular
After the last federal election in 2011, a report by the chief electoral officer predicted higher advance polling numbers.
"The number of Canadians who take advantage of advance voting has continued to increase, and this trend is expected to continue in the future," reads the August 2011 report.
It went on to predict problems in future votes.
"While Elections Canada has increased the number of advance polls, notably in rural areas, the regime is ill-designed to provide adequate service to electors," it said.
In the meantime, Elections Canada says it has found all the workers it needs for election day on Oct. 19. There had been plans to advertise for workers, but Enguehard said that won't be necessary.
In the last federal election, Elections Canada had 228,777 people working across the country. Most of those were deputy returning officers or poll clerks.
