Record Advance Turnout Nationally as Guelph’s Numbers Misrepresented Due to Riding Split

Elections Canada has announced a record-breaking early voter turnout for the 45th federal general election. Over the four days of advance polling from April 18 to April 21, 2025, approximately 7.3 million Canadians cast their ballots—marking a 25% increase from the 5.8 million who voted early in the 2021 election.

Locally, some outlets have incorrectly reported a decline in Guelph’s advance turnout. These reports fail to account for the fact that the south end of Guelph was recently moved into the newly created riding of Wellington–Halton Hills North. That new riding recorded over 28,000 advance votes. When combined with Guelph’s advance numbers, voter participation in the area remains strong. The perceived drop is therefore due to the redistribution of voters between ridings—not an actual decline in civic engagement. This misreporting highlights the importance of properly contextualizing turnout figures when electoral boundaries have changed.

Further reflecting the high level of voter engagement, some voters in Guelph reported waiting in line for up to two hours at advance polls, according to firsthand accounts in the Caught in Guelph (and Area) community group.

Elections Canada continues to encourage all eligible Canadians to vote, emphasizing the variety of options available—including advance voting, special ballots, and election day polling stations—as the country prepares for election day on Monday, April 28.