Will the 2014 civic election be a reversal of trend for the Lower Mainland’s usually dismal voter turnout rate?

With advance polling numbers skyrocketing this year in Vancouver and Surrey, it seems like more residents are becoming engaged – and that has civic leaders hoping the trend continues on election day.

Earlier this week, the City of Vancouver announced that advance polling was up 98 per cent over 2011, while in Surrey, it was up 85 per cent.

In 2011, Vancouver saw a little over one-third of eligible voters head to the polls, while Surrey had an abysmal voter turnout rate of one in four people.

“It’s certainly disheartening. You look at the situation in other countries that have fought so hard to get the right to vote,” said Insights West pollster Mario Canseco. “I’d be surprised if it’s that low [this year],”

Canseco said both cities are poised for an increase, with a tighter-than-expected race between incumbent Gregor Robertson and challenger Kirk LaPointe in Vancouver.

With Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts announcing her departure from municipal politics earlier this year, Canseco said the stakes in that city are higher than ever – and should be motivation for residents to cast their ballot.

“The last time around Dianne Watts ran essentially unopposed. She was running against people who weren’t really that well known,” he said. “Now it’s different. All three campaigns have people who know how to do this stuff.”

Several new non-partisan campaigns sprang up this year encouraging residents to get out and vote Saturday.

Count Me In, Vancouver, an online campaign created by Megan Lau and Jane Koo, aimed at getting residents “stuck” on the idea of casting their ballot.

The women stationed themselves at Mount Pleasant Community Centre and the Vancouver Art Gallery to hand out 1,000 stickers to voters.

Promote the Vote was an online campaign where voters pledged to have a conversation with people they know who don’t vote.

“We really think that dialogue will help engage or re-engage people in the political process,” said founder Patrick Lee.

But whether or not that gets more people into polling stations remains to be seen.

Follow CTV Vancouver for live election updates tonight starting at 8 p.m., followed by Election 2014 – a results special at 10 p.m.