*NOTE: A previous version of this story reported lower numbers. The total is now as of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday*
7576 people in the Grande Prairie-Mackenzie riding have sent in special ballots and turned out to vote in advance polls over the Thanksgiving long weekend. That’s 10.7Â per cent of voters on the riding’s list of electors, based on Election Canada’s website.
Boundaries for federal ridings in our region have changed since the last election when Grande Prairie was part of the Peace River riding, making it difficult to compare voter turnout between the two elections. During the 2011 federal election 3947 people, or 4 per cent of the electoral list, cast their ballots during advance polls in the Peace River Riding.
The new Grande Prairie-Mackenzie riding extends all the way to Alberta’s northern border, but doesn’t includes the communities of Peace River, Grimshaw, Fairview, or Valleyview.