Eager to vote: More than 200,000 New Brunswickers cast ballots early

Rachel Cave · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 3:04 PM EDT | Last Updated: 25 minutes ago

More than 200,000 New Brunswickers voted implicit the Easter agelong weekend, helping to shatter the nationalist grounds for aboriginal elector turnout successful the 2025 national election. 

Elections Canada reported Wednesday that 202,006 radical crossed the state voted successful beforehand polls, an summation of 25 per cent implicit the 161,199 radical who voted aboriginal successful 2021.

Judy Kaye says she was encouraged to spot radical astatine her polling presumption successful Rothesay willing to hold 90 minutes oregon longer to formed their ballots successful the national riding of Saint John–Kennebecasis.  

However, she did consciousness uneasy erstwhile immoderate walked away.    

"I cognize that conscionable [Monday], determination were astir apt astir six to 8 radical that near and a mates of times I heard that this was their 2nd clip coming back," she said.

"So you wonder, are they really going to effort a 3rd clip oregon is that a mislaid vote?" 

WATCH | Who voted aboriginal and why? Some voters explicate their motivation: 

Kaye said she waited an hr and a fractional to ballot Friday and past returned Monday to assistance 3 seniors who unrecorded successful her flat building. She said they besides waited an hr and a half. 

Colin Kelly said helium voted Saturday morning at the legion successful Norton and described it arsenic "very active." He thinks the precocious measurement of aboriginal voters is simply a motion that radical are acrophobic astir the absorption the state is going. 

"This is the archetypal twelvemonth I've voted successful the aboriginal polling," Kelly said. "One, my docket allowed it connected a Saturday and also, this is 1 predetermination wherever I conscionable wanted to get it connected insubstantial arsenic soon arsenic possible."

Wendy Mcleod MacKnight took her 96-year-old father-in-law to ballot aboriginal successful Fredericton.

"It was easy, easy, easy," she said. "We were successful and retired successful astir 10 minutes."

Voting successful Moncton took Steven Austin astir 45 minutes connected Friday evening. "It seemed beauteous reasonable," helium said.

For the archetypal time, Tyson Wilcox said helium voted early. He and his begetter went unneurotic to the occurrence section conscionable extracurricular Hampton because, helium said, they some privation to spot alteration successful Canada. Wilcox said the lodging situation was apical of mind, arsenic good arsenic the rising costs of food and transportation.

Having already made up his caput "100 per cent," Connor Savoie said helium voted Monday astatine the Seaview Community Club successful Black River.

"I privation to marque definite the campaigner I ballot for, gets in."

Nikita Skrak voted connected field astatine St. Thomas University and said she had nary occupation oregon delays.  

And the process was seamless successful Plaster Rock, said Cheryl Taylor, who voted determination Saturday due to the fact that she said she wanted it "ticked disconnected the list."

New Brunswick's precocious elector turnout has been increasing arsenic a proportionality of the full ballots cast.

In 2021, beforehand ballots accounted for 161,199 of the 397,801 total, oregon 40 per cent.   

In 2019, it was 31 per cent and successful 2015, it was 25 per cent.

Political idiosyncratic Joanna Everitt said advanced polls archer 2 stories.

First, she said, it's usually radical who person made up their caput aboriginal and don't judge they're apt to alteration it.  

These radical privation to get it retired of the way, she said, successful lawsuit thing comes up connected the time of the predetermination to halt them.

Second, the organizations that negociate elections person been making it easier to ballot aboriginal and radical are showing an involvement successful voting astatine their convenience alternatively than facing the crowds they expect to amusement up on election day.

"I deliberation it is progressively going to beryllium the norm for radical to ballot astatine returning offices oregon successful beforehand polls due to the fact that of this —  however, this mightiness alteration if the line-ups are arsenic agelong oregon longer for the beforehand polls than they are during predetermination day," said Everitt successful an email. 

New Brunswickers thin to amusement up for national elections with elector turnouts that are higher than the nationalist average.

In 2021, New Brunswick's elector turnout was 64.4 per cent.

In 2019, it was 72.1 per cent, the 3rd highest successful the state aft P.E.E (74 per cent) and Saskatchewan ( 72.6 per cent) and successful 2015, it was 74.4 per cent.  

Everitt said this is astir apt influenced by factors specified arsenic age, strong partisanship, and a beardown consciousness of voting duty. 

Election time is April 28 and polls volition beryllium unfastened 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.