Lower voter turnout in Montreal's 2021 municipal election, but fewer eligible voters too

MONTREAL -

Voter turnout dipped in Montreal's municipal election with, 36.87 per cent of voters headed to the ballot box, according to Elections Montreal at 9:10 a.m.

That's a drop from 2017, when 42.47 per cent of people turned up to vote.

However, according to Elections Montreal, not only did voter turnout drop, but so did the number of eligible voters.

This year, 1,111,100 people were eligilble to vote, compared to 1,142,948 in 2017 -- 31,848 less people.

The numbers were similar in other cities.

In Longueuil, 33.08 per cent of eligible voters headed to the polls, according to the city's returning officer, Sophie Deslauriers.

Out of 179,850 electors registered on the voters list, 35,071 people (19.5 per cent) voted on Nov. 7, while 23,452 (13.04 per cent) chose to participate in advance voting on Oct. 30 and 31.

The city says it also recorded a 0.54 per cent absentee voting, which it considers "a novelty this year during a pandemic."

In 2017, voter turnout in Longueuil was a smidge higher, at 33.1 per cent.

In Quebec City, 45.2 of voters showed up to elect the person who will replace longtime mayor Régis Labeaume.

That's compared to 50.86 per cent in 2017.

The race led to a quick upset, with Marie-Josée Savard being declared the winner by 8:30 p.m. only to have the call reversed and Bruno Marchand bypassing her to ultimately win the race.