Sask. voter turn out up 9 per cent

Nearly half the population of Saskatchewan came out to vote in Monday’s federal election.
 
Elections Canada numbers say 72.14 per cent of all eligible voters, 551,914 people, cast their ballot, up nine per cent from the 2011 election. The numbers do not include electors who registered on election day.
 
Overall, Saskatoon’s turnout was slightly higher than Regina’s. The Saskatoon-Grasswoods and Saskatoon-University ridings saw the highest turnouts in the province with 78.3 and 78.1 per cent respectively, but Saskatoon West had the lowest provincial turnout at 67.49 per cent.
 
Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River was the second closest race in the country with the NDP’s Georgina Jolibois taking the seat over the Liberal’s Lawrence Joseph by just 70 votes.
 
In Regina-Lewvan, the fifth tightest race in the country, Conservative Trent Fraser is considering asking for a recount after he lost to NDP candidate Erin Weir by 143 votes. Fraser’s team claims there was questionable conduct at some polling stations.

The Conservatives had 48.5 per cent of the vote, the NDP came in a distant second with 25.1, followed closely by the Liberal’s 23.9.

Voter turn out for Saskatchewan ridings from highest to lowest.

Saskatoon-Grasswood

78.3 per cent
46,085 of 58,810 eligible voters

Saskatoon-University

78.1 per cent
44,776 of 57,274 eligible voters

Regina-Wascana

75.4 per cent
42,718 of 56,656 eligible voters

Regina-Lewvan

74.8 per cent
47,826 of 63,894 eligible voters

Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan

73.0 per cent
41,965 of 57,471 eligible voters

Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek

72.96 per cent
40,165 of 55,048 eligible voters

Souris-Moose Mountain

72.0 per cent
37,516 of 52,093 eligible voters

Cypress Hills-Grasslands

71.8 per cent
36,208 of 50,426 eligible voters

Regina-Qu-Appelle

69.5 per cent
36,975 of 53,204 eligible voters

Prince Albert

69.8 per cent
39,520 of 56,563 eligible voters

Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River

68.1 per cent
30,192 of 44,320 eligible voters

Yorkton-Melville

68.0 per cent
36,560 of 53,694 eligible voters

Battlefords-Lloydminster

67.71 per cent
33,693 of 49,763 eligible voters

Saskatoon West

67.49 per cent
37,715 of 55,886 eligible voters