An elections official at Carleton Elementary School on East Kingsway said voter turnout today has been average so far despite heavy turnout at advance polls.

“The turnout is normal, not extraordinary,” said the official, who was too shy to give her name.

By 12:30 today, 160 Vancouverites had cast their vote at her station, she said. That was in contrast to large numbers of advance voters over the last week, she added.

But the official said she had been working at voter stations for the last 30 years, and turnout usually increases in the evening after people finish their dinner.

Outside the small school gym where East Kingsway residents cast their ballots, voter turnout could best be described as a trickle, with about one person every five minutes.

Patrick Smuth pulled up on his mountain bike. Talking about the election as he fumbled with a chain lock, he appeared to have a fair amount of cynicism.

Asked whether the Olympic village controversy influenced his decision to vote, Smuth said the scandal was just business as usual for municipal politics.

“Politicians look out for themselves, not you and me,” he said.

About ten minutes later, young voter Carmen Dong said she didn’t know much about the election, but cited the controversy around Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate Gregor Roberston’s unpaid Translink fine as a deciding factor.

“As a politician, you can’t find loopholes,” Dong said. “We can’t decide to just not pay our taxes.”

Dong added that the Olympic village mess played a much smaller role in her decision to vote.

“It should have been expected that the costs would be higher than everyone thought at first. It happens in all the Olympic cities,” she said.

Geoff Dembicki is a staff reporter for the Hook.