Many voters are stopping to cast a ballot in today’s federal election, the Yukon’s returning officer for Elections Canada said late this morning.

Michael Lauer said there was a steady rush of voters attending polling stations when they opened at 7 a.m. There was no turnout figure available.

He estimates there would be a rush during the lunch hour and after 4 p.m. once people get off work. He recommended that anyone looking to avoid long lines, to attend a polling station between 1 and 4 p.m.

There are 10 polling stations in Whitehorse.

They are Golden Horn Elementary School, École Émilie-Tremblay, Elijah Smith Elementary School, the Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre, the Yukon Inn, Vanier Catholic Secondary School, Porter Creek Secondary School, Holy Family Elementary School, Jack Hulland Elementary School and Hidden Valley Elementary School.

Lauer had not heard how voting in the communities went this morning.

Lauer said there are 29,000 eligible voters in the Yukon. He added that the advanced poll was 39 per cent higher than it was last year. He said it was 10 per cent above the national average, at which Yukon usually finds itself.

The Yukon’s polls will close at 7 p.m.

About 27 million Canadians are eligible to vote.

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