Election Day 2021: Londoners express 'voter anxiety' at the polls
Many Londoners headed to the polls with ‘voter anxiety,' as Canada's pandemic-era election reached the finish line Monday.
The anxiety covers a wide range of issues in this very different federal election. Much of it, voter Andrea Tonkovic believes, is pandemic related.
“It’s getting on people's last nerves. I feel that is the main concern right now. How are we going to be handling the pandemic in the future because it’s still not over?”
David Nielsen did not hesitate to vote because of COVID-19. But he did become concerned once he entered his polling station.
Nielsen voted inside a hotel conference room near Exeter Road.
He says it was too small.
“Well, it would have been nice if they had a bit more floor space, in there, it’s kind of hard to maintain your spacing.”
Beyond the logistics of casting a ballot is the issue of voting at all.
Some remain angry the election was called, while others predict little will change after the polls close.
“I don’t think so,” a woman exiting the polling station repeated to CTV News London.
Voter Agatha Friesen agrees.
“I’m hoping that another party that I’m voting for will have some gains, but I’m not sure about that.”
But her son, Wesley, 25, is hopeful the party he supports will pick up seats nationally.
“I think we might see a few ridings switch NDP. I’m hoping, but I don’t know for a fact.”
Voter Wesley Friesen in London, Ont. on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
Other voters spoke of the impact the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) might have on seats across Canada, although none here believed the party might actually secure a spot in the House of Commons.
In the end, voters do not believe many ridings will change hands. But we did find one London senior who expressed faint hope the election might improve things in Ottawa.
“Maybe a little bit better. We can always wish for a little bit better,” she concluded.
Polls are open until 9:30 p.m.
Where to find voting information
More than 6.5-million Canadians have already voted in advanced polls or through special ballots, but the large majority will cast their vote Monday, including in London’s four ridings.
While there are several ridings in the region, the four ridings that separate London proper are London-West, London North Centre, London Fanshawe, and Elgin-Middlesex-London.
For a refresher on who the candidates are in each riding and those in surrounding counties please follow this link.
London garnered lots of attention from federal leaders during the election with four party leaders making points to visit the Forest City.
Elections Canada has said due to the large number of special ballots it could take some time to determine winners in some of the tighter races across the country.
In some cases they warn it could take up to four days, but most results are expected by the end of the night.
Polls opened at 9:30 a.m. in Ontario and will remain open for 12 hours.
For information on where and how to vote follow this link.
CTV London will have ongoing coverage of the election throughout the day and evening culminating in a special election broadcast at 11 p.m.
You can also tune into 1290 CJBK throughout the evening with local updates every half hour leading up to the 11 p.m. broadcast.
Stay with us for updates and results once they start coming in following the closing of polls at 9:30 p.m.
- With files from the Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.