N.B. votes: 166,543 cast ballot on and before election day

Polls across New Brunswick came to a close at 8 p.m. on Monday, bringing the total number of people who voted in personin the elections to 157,315.

That figure includes 86,609 people who voted on election day, along with 70,706 people who voted in advance or at their returning office for municipal elections,elections for regional health authority board membersor district education council members, said Paul Harpelle, Elections NB spokesperson.

Meanwhile, 9,228 people requested forms to mail in their ballot, he said.

The finaltally of 166,543 assuming that everyone who requested a mail ballot used theirs falls short of the 2016 election's turnout of 187,914. However, Harpelle noted eligible voters in the Edmundston and Madawaska region still have to cast their ballots later this month.

There are about 20,000 eligible voters in that region,Harpelle said.

"It would not be a surprise if we don't see exactly the same numbers of participation we saw five years ago. It's a different time with the pandemic," Harpelle said.

"Also, evencompared to the last provincial election, which took place during a pandemic, we have the, you know, the arrival of the variants, which I think wouldhave an impact on people's, you know, comfort level in voting."

A wait for winners

Although polls closed in most parts of the province at 8 p.m. AT, voters will still have to wait another 15 days to find out who actually won.

That's because elections in the Edmundston and Madawaska regions were postponed until May 25, which will be the same day all results from other regions get posted.

Some candidates aren't too pleasedabout the more than two-week wait for results, saidKim Poffenroth, New Brunswick's chief electoral officer.

"Many have demanded that the results be released and we've explained that that's not legally possible," he said.

Poffenroth said Elections New Brunswick can't release results until everyone in the province has had the opportunity to vote.

"I sympathize and I understand people's frustration," she said. "Unfortunately the realities of this election do not make that possible."

Election results have also beenhalted because district education counciland regional health authority voting overlaps in areas that wereboth in and out of lockdown.

"You don't release results for a contest when voters can still vote in that contest."

'A unique situation'

In March, the provincial governmentpassed legislation for the first time to allowthe suspension of nominations and voting in a particular zone in the event of a lockdown.

"This is a very unique situation," said Poffenroth.

Even if results could legally be released earlier, they would only be preliminary because additional votes could come in and impact the outcome of the election.

"These contests in municipal elections tend to have very close results, where one or two votes could make the difference in who's elected," she said.

In the meantime, electors in the Edmundston and Madawaska regions can vote at a returning office until May 25.

Poffenrothuses the example of a student from Campbelltonwho is attending community college in Edmundston.

"They're entitled to vote for the contest in Campbelltonfor mayor and councillor, but they've been under lockdown in Edmundston," she said.

• Cross-border commuters can't vote in person and struggle for clarity

Theoretically, a voter from another region could vote in those regions before May 25, butPoffenroth said it goes against Public Health guidelines.

All regions of New Brunswick outside of those that were most recently under lockdown in Zone 4 are stillscheduled to have elections on May 10.

Who's in charge?

Under New Brunswick's Local Governance Act, the current municipal council remains in place until the first meeting of the new council.

Until then, ballots and tabulation machines will be transferred to a facilityfor two weeks in Fredericton that's under 24-hour surveillance.

"We're not releasing the exact location for security reasons," she said.

Results are typically counted at local polling stations and results are transmitted from there.

"Obviously we can't leave ballots and tabulation machines at polling stations," she said.

• Cross-border commuters can't vote in person and struggle for clarity

The more than 1,000 candidates across the province will be able to watch results coming in, which will be livestreamed on the Elections New Brunswick website on May 25.

"With the livestreaming, it will actually be even more transparent," she said. "Any New Brunswicker can watch."

Elections New Brunswick won't release the actual results for the rest of the province until polls close in Edmundston.

"Unlike a normal election night, where the results sort of trickle out gradually, all of the results for the rest of the province should go in one lump batch shortly after 8 p.m."