Twelve years on from a by-election in the riding that signalled the emergence of the federal New Democrats as a potent political force in Quebec, it seems that voters in Outremont may not be particularly excited about any of the options on offer this time around.
Advance-polling data released by Elections Canada on Tuesday evening shows that voters in the riding are turning out so far at levels lower than the other federal by-elections set to be held at the same time.
Just 3,795 people cast an early ballot during the advance-poll period, or 5.4% of the registered voters in the riding, which covers all of Outremont and parts of the Upper Plateau, Côte-des-Neiges, Little Italy and Parc-Extension.
By contrast, 5,462 people cast an advance vote in the by-election campaign in the suburban Vancouver riding of Burnaby-South, B.C., where federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is running. In York-Simcoe, Ont., 4,283 voters cast an advance ballot.
Over a decade ago, in 2007, a by-election in Outremont saw Tom Mulcair win the seat for the NDP from the Liberals, who had held the seat for all but five years since its creation in 1935. This year's by-election in Outremont will be held on Monday, February 25.