Fewer people cast a ballot in Toronto's 2006 civic election than three years ago but actual voter turnout was up.

The discrepancy is due to revisions made to the voters' list that dropped a quarter of a million names.

Of 1.42 million eligible voters in the city, nearly 584,000 people cast ballots for mayor Monday — around 41 per cent — according to unofficial city results.

In the 2003 municipal election, more than 692,000 voted for mayor, with 38 per cent voter turnout.

For the first time this year, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, which provides municipalities with preliminary voters' lists, indicated those whose citizenship was in question with a "u" for unconfirmed. 

That reduced the number of eligible voters in Toronto, where there are a large number of immigrants, by 16 per cent or about 250,000 names.

However, those who didn't receive voters' cards could still cast their ballot by providing identification or signing a declaration stating they were eligible.