By Dana Hatherly

Thousands of residents from the city’s 23 wards cast an early ballot for mayor, councillor and school board trustee during the special advance voting period that finished Sunday.

A total of 15,754 electors have voted in the 2018 Ottawa municipal elections, according to Elections Ottawa. Election day is Oct. 22.

The special advance vote ran for four days at six locations across the city.

Ottawa residents with proper identification and proof of eligible address could vote at any place. Electronic vote tabulators struck individual names off the voters’ list after each eligible elector finished marking their ballot.

It was only the second time the city offered special advance polls in municipal elections, which allow for more flexible voting locations and ballots printed on the fly. City officials bolstered the special advance voting period this round, doubling the number of voting stations than in 2014.

Electors who did not cast special advance ballots still have two opportunities to vote in their ward.

Advance polls open Friday for one day only.

And then there is the election day itself. Elections Ottawa keeps all advance voting results on a memory card stashed in a safe until after ballot boxes close at 8 p.m.

Residents will have to wait until then to find out about the future of City Hall.

Voters can find more voting information at Elections Ottawa.