By Shaun Penner

Above National Average

Grande Prairie-Mackenzie records 64% voter turnout for 2021 election

Sep 29, 2021 | 11:39 AM

Voter turnout in the Grande Prairie-Mackenzie riding for last week’s federal election came in at 64.4 per cent, finishing slightly above the national average.

A total of 62.25 per cent of registered Canadian voters cast a ballot on or before the September 20 election day. The results saw the Liberal Party of Canada earn another minority government, winning 159 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons.

In Grande Prairie-Mackenzie, 53,455 ballots were cast among the 82,950 eligible voters in the riding. Conservative Party of Canada candidate Chris Warkentin walked away with 68.4 per cent of those votes, or a total of 36,361 votes, to earn a sixth term in Ottawa.

Warkentin has represented the Grande Prairie area on Parliament Hill since 2006.

The final tally of votes in the Grande Prairie-Mackenzie riding is as follows:

1. Chris Warkentin, Conservative Party of Canada: 36,361 votes (68.4%)
2. Jennifer Villebrun, New Democratic Party: 6,462 votes (12.2%)
3. Shawn Mclean, People’s Party of Canada: 5,411 votes (10.2%)
4. Dan Campbell, Liberal Party of Canada: 2,397 votes (4.5%)
5. Ambrose Ralph, Maverick Party: 2,195 votes (4.1%)
6. Donovan Eckstrom, Rhinoceros Party: 314 votes (0.6%)

The voter turnout in Grande Prairie-Mackenzie was down from the 2019 election, when 70.6 per cent of registered voters cast a ballot.

Nationally, voter turnout was also down, after 67 per cent of voters cast a ballot two years ago.