Ottawa Valley advanced polls a long wait

OTTAWA VALLEY – It’s Good Friday (April 18), unless you were waiting in lines at advanced polls to vote in the 45th general elction in West Carleton or Arnprior.

Today was the first day of advanced polls for the 45th federal election in Canada, as well as the first day of the Easter long weekend, and West Carleton and Arnprior residents are taking advantage.

In Kinburn, at the West Carleton Community Complex, lines are long, and slow.

One young voter mentioned to West Carleton Online as he left the polling station it was a 35-minute process to cast his franchise.

West Carleton Online also spoke with two seniors as they left the voting centre who concurred with that timeline but preferred not to be identified.

“It’s crazy,” they said. “The ballot is this long with candidates on both sides,” the husband said holding his arms wide apart referring to the 91 candidates on the Carleton Riding ballot.

Neither understood why the line was so long or so slow moving.

“There were two polls in there, but there only seemed to be people at one,” he said. “It was hard to fold the ballot after voting.”

While media is not allowed in the polling station, there looked to be roughly 60 people in line waiting to vote at just before 2 p.m.

Reports from the advanced polling station in Corkery at St. Michael’s School were also that it was a slow process.

“Advanced polling is packed at St. Michael’s School,” Jody Bayly released in a statement around 1 p.m. “One person at a time goes in. The ballot is ridiculous. Too long to scan so it’s all old style, folded about seven times and thin in the box it goes. People are in good spirits at how ridiculous this is. Took us over an hour.

In Arnprior, the wait was even longer. At the downtown Arnprior Public Library, the line-up of prospective voters went out the door and around the parking lot, looking close to 100 people. One voter crossing Elgin told West Carleton Online it took two-and-a-half hours to vote.

Arnprior resident Cathy Black who lives in an apartment across from the library told West Carleton Online it had been like that all day.

“It’s been like that since 10 a.m. this morning,” Black said. “It’s wonderful to see.”