One-in-five eligible voters cast early ballot in local riding

By Medicine Hat News on April 25, 2025.

Just more than 20 per cent of eligible voters in Medicine Hat-Cardson-Warner took advantage of early voting, Elections Canada reported late Thursday.

The agency states that 17,144 votes were cast over four days last weekend at locations throughout the riding that spans from the Saskatchewan boundary to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

The official figure for eligible voters is cited at 79,022 in the area, which has a total population of 103,819.

The recent total also represents a 3,000-vote increase from advance voting ahead of the last general election in 2021. Across Canada, citizens taking advantage of pre-election-day voting options was about 25 per cent higher, according to Elections Canada.

General voting in the 45th General election takes place Monday, April 28.

Total turnout in the riding during the 2021 election was 48,688, equating to 61.4 per cent, down from previous general elections in 2019 (68.1 per cent) and 2015 (66.1 per cent).

This year, early voting turnout was similarly higher in several other ridings in rural southern Alberta.

In Bow River, including Brooks and Taber, 21,974 early ballots were received, or 19.5 per cent of total voters.

In Lethbridge, 17,291 early votes represent 18.3 per cent of total voters, and in Battle River-Crowfoot reported 14,434 early votes make up 13 per cent of voters.

Early voting turnout in the Saskatchewan riding of Swift-Current-Grasslands-Kindersley was 12,268, or 16.2 per cent.