Elections Canada delays opening of some advance polls after hurricane batters N.L.

Elections Canada says it's delaying the opening of advance polls over a large swath of eastern Newfoundland today as the province assesses the damage caused by Hurricane Larry.

Spokeswoman Francoise Enguehard says there's no immediate word on when polls will be open for voters in three of the province's seven ridings: St. John's East, St. John's South-Mount Pearl, and Avalon.

Larry made landfall as a Category 1 storm along the island's south coast early this morning, bringing sheets of rain and sustained winds of 130 km/h across the Avalon Peninsula, which includes the capital city of St. John's.

Newfoundland Power says tens of thousands of residents were without power in the St. John's region alone.

Enguehard says Elections Canada opted to delay the opening of advance polls as a precaution, noting local officials are urging residents to stay off roads littered with branches and other debris from the storm.

She says updates on the status of affected advance polls, which opened on Friday for what was supposed to be four straight days, will be provided later in the day.

She also urged local residents to enter their postal codes into the Elections Canada website for status updates on their closest advance polling station.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2021.