Voters in the Battlefords have kept up a steady presence at advance polling stations. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Early voting

Battlefords residents voting for representation at advance polls

Sep 13, 2021 | 5:18 PM

A week out from the federal election and millions of Canadians have already cast their vote.

Advance polls wrap up this evening, with a steady turnout in communities like the Battlefords. The stations officially close at 9:00 p.m. with turnout expected to remain steady until then, with people there with a plethora of concerns and considerations in which party to back to govern Canada.

One female voter, who asked to remain anonymous, stressed that it’s a national and civic duty to vote. She was also concerned with what she saw as a lack of informed young voters.

“The kids nowadays, I don’t think they know what’s going on,” she said. “And there’s a lot of people that put through scare tactics on them.”

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For many residents, their ideals and core beliefs were what mattered most, compared to any one issue. North Battleford resident Deanna Covert said she voted based on her faith and values.

“Most of my moral standard is from the scripture, so when I look at the different policies and parties, the more conservative lean more towards to values and standards that I hold,” she said.

Concern over representation in parliament was also common. Deanna’s mother Kathy, who also voted, said her biggest issue is to see the federal government pay attention to western Canadians, particularly farmers.

“We want to be recognized with our agriculture,” Kathy said. “Of course education is in there too, but we’ve got a specific need for farmers to be represented and cared for the same way any big business is.”

Kathy added that she and others believe that this part of the nation hasn’t had as much of a voice as it could if the government were to change, which has attracted many to the candidates talking about western interests. However, that’s also brought along conversations of residents focused on strategic voting.

“We might like the newer party and perhaps we should have to swing towards the new party, but people are keeping in mind that it could change the status quo here,” Kathy said.

Many voters in the Battlefords are hoping for change, reglardless of which party they voted for. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW Staff)

One elderly resident said she was less focused on any one issue, aside from being unhappy with the current federal government and wanting a change.

“So I just voted somewhere else,” she said.

The woman mentioned that she doesn’t have a specific expectation of what the results of the election will be or what impact they will have on the country moving forward, though she felt we are in for a long, difficult process.

“They’ve got an awful mess to clean up and nobody can do it overnight,” she said.

And one of the potential issues that elderly voters care about is pensions. One 72-year-old voter said old age pensioners deserve better than what they’ve received.

“During the pandemic, old age pensioners got $300, then Mr. Trudeau announced we were going to get another $500, but then backed off to 75 and over,” he said. “In my opinion, that’s not right. Old age pensioners start at 65, not 75.”

Other means of voting

In addition to advance polls, residents who can’t vote in person on Sept. 20 have another option if they act quickly to apply. Tomorrow, Sept. 14, is the deadline to vote by both mail and special ballot at an Elections Canada office. The time for that deadline is 6:00 p.m.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW