There were no waits at the Downtown Vernon voting stations over the noon hour Monday, April 28 (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

General Voting Day

No wait times on general voting day in Vernon, Kelowna

Apr 28, 2025 | 1:13 PM

People casting their votes in the 2025 Federal Election weren’t facing any lines on general voting day in Vernon and other areas in our region.

Vernon Matters visited three voting stations between 12 and 12:30 p.m. Monday, and found there were no lines at the Vernon Recreation Centre, the Schubert Centre, or the voting venue at 3202 3nd Avenue, across from the Staples.

It was a far more sedate look compared to the very popular four days of Advance Voting over the Easter weekend which saw a record turnout across the nation.

Voters said it took between 10 to 15 minutes all in to get into the venues, have their registration and identification checked, and cast their ballots.

Of the voters who stopped to speak, the majority said they did not vote in advance because they wanted to cast their ballots on voting day. However, there was one voter who said they wanted to wait until the Conservative party released its full platform before casting a vote, and another who said they had only just recently moved to Vernon and wanted to learn more about the candidates before filling in the ballot.

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All the voters who spoke with Vernon Matters added they had already made up their minds about who they wished to support, and no one said they decided to change their votes between the closing of the advance voting stations and general election day.

Voters approach a quiet polling station in Rutland April 28/Vernon Matters

It was similar, sedate scene at the polling stations Vernon Matters visited in Kelowna with voters not facing any queues before voting, unlike the far more congested situation April 18-21. However, the desire to exercise a right to cast a ballot was certainly no less so.

One younger voter said his future is at stake so voting is very important. Another said government affects everybody’s life every day so it’s important to elect a strong leader.

We asked people if they’d delayed voting until today because they needed more time to decide who to vote for?

One younger voter said he had used the last week to catch up on the news and the various party platforms, while another said they’d made up their mind long ago.

Another said they prefer to vote on Election Day to “add to the suspense” as he put it.

Elections Canada reported last week that the post-4 p.m. time slot was the busiest during Advance Voting, so it’s likely polling stations will see a surge later Monday although possibly not as we saw over the Easter weekend.

Polls are open until 7 p.m.