New Brunswickers vote in advance polls for May 9 municipal elections

New Brunswickers eager to cast their votes for an array of elections headed to advanced polling stations Saturday.

The municipal election may not be until May 9, but Elections NB has 140 advanced polling stations open Saturday. Voters are choosing not only their municipal governments, but district education councils and regional health authorities as well.

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The unofficial voter turnout on Saturday was 24,523 province wide.

"There's a lot of ballots circulating around the province today," said Elections NB's Paul Harpelle.

Polling stations will be open until 8 p.m. this evening and will reopen again Monday. Those who received their voter registration card in the mail are not required to show ID at the polls.

"It's the honour system," Harpelle said.

The only voters required to show IDare those who need to be added to the voters list.

'Beats the crowd'

At the Saint John Boys and Girls Club, most of those arriving to cast a ballot had their votercard with them.

"We're senior citizens, we remember everything," Lee French said with a laugh.

Elections NB staff at the polling station said the turnout has been fairly consistent over the day.

French will be working at the cruise ship terminal on election day and doesn't want to get stuck in long lines.

"This beats the crowd, the last-minute people," he said.

Geraldine McKiel said she always votes early to avoid the stress and managed to avoid the rush today.

"Then I can sit back and relax and watch the outcome," she said.

Most with voter cards said they were pleased with the speed in which they got through the station, butRon Colwellthinks staff still needto work out some of the kinks before May 9.

"They didn't know what they were doing," he said.