Just a handful of voters cast a ballot in the advance polls for two municipal by-elections in Montreal's north and east ends.
In Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles, where voters are picking a new borough mayor, just 2.5% of registered voters participated in the advance poll, held a week out from election day. In the council district of Saint-Michel, meanwhile, only 1.8% cast an early vote to fill a vacant city council seat.
Élection Montréal announced the turnout shortly after the closure of the advance poll at 8:00 Sunday night. In all, 2,061 people cast an advance vote in the RDP-PAT borough mayoralty by-election, while just 394 voted in Saint-Michel's city councillor by-election.
The by-elections are being held to replace two former municipal politicians who were elected to the National Assembly in October's provincial election. Chantal Rouleau resigned the borough mayoralty of RDP-PAT after being elected a CAQ MNA to the seat of Pointe- aux-Trembles, and Frantz Benjamin vacated his seat on city council after being elected for the Liberals to represent the riding of Viau. Both were members of the official opposition party, Ensemble Montréal.
The by-elections will be held on Sunday, December 16th, from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.