Elections Canada says 68.5 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots in Monday's federal election, the largest turnout of voters in more than 20 years.
Of the 25.6 million people registered to vote, close to 17.6 million turned up at polls across the country in an election that handed the Liberals led by Justin Trudeau a majority victory.
That kind of turnout hasn't been seen since the 1993 election, a campaign that also resulted in a sweeping Liberal win under the stewardship of Jean Chretien.
The swell in numbers was partly due to the 3.6 million Canadians who cast ballots during the four-day advance polling period on the Thanksgiving long weekend -- an increase of 71 per cent over the 2011 election, when only three days of advance polls were held.
In our region's 13 ridings, voter turnout mirrored the national trend, ranging from 63 per cent to 68 per cent.
BREAKDOWN OF OUR 13 RIDINGS
Barrie-Innisfil: 203 polls – Voter turnout: 49,369 of 76,831 (64.26%)
Conservative John Brassard: 22,901 (46.4%)
Liberal Colin Wilson: 18,308 (37.1%)
Barrie-Innisfil is a new riding created from the former riding of Barrie, during the federal electoral redistribution of 2012. That riding was previously held by the Conservatives under now Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown.
Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte – 219 polls – Voter turnout: 50,554 of 75,207 (67.22%)
Conservative Alex Nuttall: 21,103 (41.7%)
Liberal Brian Tamblyn: 20,993 (41.5%)
Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte is a new riding created from the former riding of Barrie during the federal electoral redistribution of 2012. That riding was previously held by the Conservatives under now Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown. This was the closest race in our area, with only 110 votes splitting Nuttall and Tamblyn. It's unclear if there will be a recount.
Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill – 206 polls – Voter turnout: 50,950 of 78,848 (64.62%)
Liberal Leona Alleslev: 24,104 (47.3%)
Conservative Costas Menegakis 23,043 (45.2%)
The new riding of Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill was previously under the riding of Richmond Hill, before it expanded to accommodate the growing population of the area. Menegakis was the former MP in that riding.
Simcoe North – 257 polls – Voter turnout: 57,035 of 86,208 (66.16%)
(I) Conservative Bruce Stanton: 24,810 (43.5%)
Liberal Liz Riley: 22,714 (43.5%)
Stanton has been the riding’s Member of Parliament since 2006.
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound – 251 polls – Voter turnout: 56,112 of 82,056 (68.38%)
(I) Conservative Larry Miller: 26,267 (46.8%)
Liberal Kimberley Love: 21,689 (38.7%)
Miller was first elected as MP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound in 2004.
Dufferin-Caledon – 268 polls – Voter turnout: 60,613 of 92,461 (65.56%)
(I) Conservative David Tilson: 27,929 (46.1%)
Liberal Ed Crewson: 23,610 (39%)
Tilson has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Dufferin-Caledon since its creation in 2003. The long-time MP has served as the chairman of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock – 262 polls – Voter turnout: 61,857 of 91,208 (67.82%)
Conservative Jamie Schmale: 27,760 (44.9%)
Liberal David Marquis: 19,600 (31.7%)
Schmale replaces long-time MP Barry Devolin, who held the riding for the Conservatives since 2004. Devolin decided he wouldn’t seek re-election this year.
King-Vaughan – 233 polls – Voter turnout: 54,716 of 84,925 (64.43%)
Liberal Deb Schulte: 25,938 (47.4%)
Conservative Konstantin Toubis: 24,170 (44.2%)
King-Vaughan is a new riding created during the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution and encompasses parts of the former riding of Oak Ridges-Markham and Vaughan. Both of those former ridings were Conservative.
Newmarket-Aurora – 226 polls – Voter turnout: 56,471 of 83,108 (67.95%)
Liberal Kyle Peterson: 25,513 (45.2%)
(I) Conservative Lois Brown: 24,059 (42.6%)
Peterson currently serves as director of the United Way of York Region. This is his second time running in the riding. Brown was the incumbent heading into the election; she was voted in as Member of Parliament in 2008.
Parry Sound-Muskoka – 222 polls – Voter turnout: 51,277 of 75,642 (67.79%)
(I) Conservative Tony Clement: 22,204 (43.3%)
Liberal Trisha Cowie: 19,936 (38.9%)
Clement first won the riding back in 2006 and was the President of the Treasury Board when Parliament was dissolved. Clement is also a former Health and Industry minister.
Simcoe-Grey – 273 polls – Voter turnout: 65,693 of 97,145 (67.62%)
(I) Conservative Kellie Leitch: 30,602 (46.6%)
Liberal Mike MacEachern: 25,308 (38.5%)
Leitch was the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Status of Women when Parliament dissolved. She was first elected to the riding in 2011.
York-Simcoe – 207 polls – Voter turnout: 47,879 of 75,570 (63.36%)
(I) Conservative Peter Van Loan: 24,058 (50.2%)
Liberal Shaun Tanaka 18,083 (37.8%)
Van Loan was the Government Leader in the House before Parliament dissolved. Van Loan has been the MP for York-Simcoe since 2004.
Vaughan-Woodbridge – 195 polls – Voter turnout: 47,307 of 73,924 (63.99%)
Liberal Francesco Sorbara: 23,131 (48.9%)
Conservative Julian Fantino: 20,647 (43.6%)
Sorbara is a Corporate Bond Research Analyst covering the Canadian bond market with Scotiabank. Fantino served as Minister of Veterans Affairs between 2013 and 2015. He was demoted earlier this year, to the position of associate minister of National Defence. The riding was reduced in size from the 2011 federal election and includes the City of Vaughan south of Major Mackenzie Drive and west of Highway 400.
The above information was compiled from Election Canada’s unofficial results. The voter turnout numbers does not include electors who registered on Election Day.
