229486
225777
BC  

BC election: what you need to know when you go to vote

BC voting checklist

Today is general voting day for British Columbia’s provincial election. Here’s what you need to know to cast your ballot.

Who can vote: Anyone 18 or older who is a Canadian citizen and has been a B.C. resident for the past six months.

Where and when to vote: You can vote at any polling station or any electoral office. To find a polling station in your riding, visit elections.bc.ca/voting/where-to-vote/ or check the voter information card sent to registered voters. The polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and electoral offices are open until 4 p.m.

What to bring: Proof of your identity and address. That could include government-issued ID with name, photo and address, such as a driver’s licence, or two pieces of identification with at least one showing a current address, or someone to vouch for you. If you received a Where to Vote card in the mail, bring that with you to make the process faster.

Inside voting stations, voters can expect capacity limits, sanitization stations, Plexiglas barriers and election officers wearing masks. Voters are encouraged to wear a mask inside the voting station and are reminded to keep a safe distance from other voters.

You can bring your own pen or pencil to mark the ballot, but pencils at voting stations will be sanitized after use.

Chief electoral officer Anton Boegman said he’s been impressed with voters’ patience and adherence to safety measures during seven days of advance voting. He also praised Elections B.C. staff for their organization.

Some people can vote by phone: If you are self-isolating, in hospital or have a disability that prevents you from voting in-person or by mail, you can vote by assisted telephone voting. Hundreds of military members deployed at sea were also given this option for the first time. So far, Elections B.C. has processed 1,900 votes by phone. Some hospitals also have mobile voting stations so patients can vote from their hospital beds.

Almost 3.5 million people are registered to vote in this provincial election. Due to the pandemic, advance voting and mail-in ballots saw unprecedented use. More than 1.1 million votes have already been cast, with 681,055 people voting in advance polls and 478,000 vote-by-mail packages received by Elections B.C.

Need more information? Go to the Elections B.C. website at elections.bc.ca or call 1-800-661-8683.



More BC News

229439