More people turned out to vote in 2025 than in any federal election in the last 10 years across central Vancouver Island. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

long lines

Voter turnout across mid-Island highest in a decade

Apr 29, 2025 | 10:57 AM

NANAIMO — Voters appear to have been motivated to cast their ballot in the 2025 Federal Election.

Preliminary data from Elections Canada shows voter turnout for both Nanaimo-Ladysmith and Courtenay-Alberni was the highest since the 2015 election.

In Nanaimo-Ladysmith a total of 73,388 votes were cast out of 102,177 registered electors.

It represents a 71.82 per cent voter turnout, the highest mark since 75 per cent of voters cast a ballot in 2015.

Voters elected Tamara Kronis of the Conservatives as their new MP.

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The 2019 election saw 68.9 per cent turnout, while numbers dropped to 63.6 per cent in 2021.

In Courtenay-Alberni, 78,591 votes were counted as of Tuesday, April 29 at 10 a.m., out of 107,691 registered electors.

Voter turnout was marked at 72.98 per cent, again the highest since 75.9 per cent voted in 2015.

Gord Johns was returned to Ottawa as the lone Island NDP MP.

In 2019, 71.4 per cent voted, with turnout again dropping in 2021 to 65.4 per cent.

Voter turnout nationwide is approximately 67.4 per cent with over 19.2 million ballots cast from 28.5 million electors.

Exact numbers will change a little over the coming weeks.

Elections Canada notes the voter turnout figures do not include electors who registered on election day. Each riding also has approximately half a percent worth of votes to count.

Preliminary results will stand until the official count can be done in the weeks ahead, inclusive of recounts required in some ridings across the country.

Neither Nanaimo-Ladysmith or Courtenay-Alberni were close enough to mandate an automatic review of vote tallies.

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