The official turnout for the 44th general election on September 20th , 2021 was 58.44%, which is a significant drop of 8.56% from the 2019 general election.
In the most recent election, the popularity of advance polls increased significantly across the country. The region did not escape this trend. The ridings of Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Salaberry-Suroît were no exception to the rise. In Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 25,867 electors took advantage of their right to advance polls compared to 21,595 in 2019. For Salaberry-Suroît, the increase was also significant since 23,548 voters turned out to vote in advance while there were 20,932 in 2019.
Priority: health and safety
Due to the pandemic, the election process was conducted with strict rules. This had the effect of sometimes creating long line ups. Voters had to wait outside the polling stations, particularly from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. To ensure the safety of voters and election workers Elections Canada had put in place measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in its offices and polling stations.
The measures put in place could vary from one province and territory to another. In polling stations, poll workers were required to wear a mask. There was also hand sanitizer, clear markings for physical distancing, and only one poll worker per table behind a plexiglass screen. Voters were also required to respect physical distancing: stand at least two meters from other people.
In terms of voting by mail, 1,011,874 Canadians have asked Elections Canada to vote by mail in their own ridings. In Salaberry-Suroît, nearly 1,000 electors voted by mail and in Vaudreuil-Soulanges there are a few hundred voters.
