Regina’s old Costco has been transformed into a democratic hub this week.

The warehouse is just over 11, 000 square metres. This makes it the largest polling station in Canadian voting history, according to Marie France Kenny from Elections Canada. Wait times on election day have been shortened despite the hundreds of voters this location is accommodating for.

“I was very surprised at the number of areas in southeast Regina designated to vote at the ‘old Costco’,” said Canadian Senator Denise Batters on Twitter.

A group of 20 voters who arrived on their lunch break waited less than six minutes from entry to exit.

Many Regina voters are pleased with the organization of the polling station. The entire process was “quick and easy,” one voter said. Another said she “walked in, voted, and walked out” with no waiting required.

With little to no line-ups, wait times during the day at advanced polls were similar to those seen today. Around 6 p.m. on the last day of advanced polls, however, wait times skyrocketed to over an hour. Poll volunteers assumed a similar trend would happen election Monday with more people arriving to vote after work. Wait times weren’t expected to reach over an hour because there were more voting stations open than at the advanced polls.

In such a big space, organization of voters was of high importance. Clear signage, dozens of volunteers and guided pathways created a fast paced flow of foot traffic. Within the warehouse, yellow caution tape tied to shopping carts created make-shift crowd control barriers. These physical guides helped decrease voter confusion and sped up time spent inside the building.

“It felt a bit like a haunted house with all the caution tape,” said one Costco voter.

Based on a survey of 20 voters conducted outside the old Costco polling station, all were satisfied with the wait time and 19 said they were satisfied with the overall process of voting on election day.

Poll station volunteers declined to provide any information on their experiences from the day.

In the 2020 Saskatchewan election, wait times were short, too. One poll worker recalled barely having 40 people vote at their station from a list of over 200 eligible voters. This was likely due to an increase in people choosing to cast their vote by mail because of the pandemic.

While voting by mail was likely to remain a popular choice this year, many voters found it easier to get it done in person. Voting in-person this year brought a comforting sense of familiarity and nostalgia to Regina residents who are used to making a quick trip to Costco.