More than 26,000 voters turned out to advance polls in Ottawa Friday

The Ottawa Elections office on Cyrville Road is seen in this undated file image. (CTV News Ottawa)

Elections Ottawa says more than 26,000 voters turned out to advance polls on Friday in Ottawa’s municipal election.

“26,773 voters made their mark on Advance Voting Day 1 on October 7,” Elections Ottawa said on Twitter Sunday.

Bay Ward (Ward 7) had the most advance voters on Friday, with 3,325 voters selecting their choice for mayor, ward councillor, and school board trustee. Kitchissippi Ward (Ward 15) had the next highest number of advance voters, with 2,087. Somerset Ward (Ward 14) came in third, with 2,047 votes cast.

There were 506 advance votes cast in Ottawa’s newest ward, Barrhaven East (Ward 24).

• RELATED: Full municipal election coverage

Friday was the first of two days of in-ward advance voting after four days of special advance voting that allowed any eligible resident to cast a ballot at any applicable polling station, regardless of ward. Elections Ottawa said 18,587 residents cast ballots across the four days of special advance voting Sept. 24 to 27.

This means approximately six per cent of residents have already voted. The city told CTV News Ottawa that there were 722,227 eligible electors for the 2022 municipal elections as of the close of the revision period on Sept. 16.

A recent Nanos Research poll for CTV News Ottawa found 35 per cent of respondents were still undecided in their choice for mayor. 

Voters can still register at a polling station and the deadline to add, amend, or remove a name from the voters’ list is Election Day, Oct. 24.

There is one more day of advance polls open in every ward on Oct. 14 before the final voting day on the 24th.

Voter turnout in 2018 was 42.55 per cent overall.