Thousands of people are expected to cast their votes over the coming weeks as B.C. decides upon its next provincial leaders.
With final voting day less than a month away, here are some of the key things to know.
Who can vote?
A voter must be a Canadian citizen, 18 or older on Oct. 19, 2024, and a resident of B.C. since April 18, 2024.
You cannot vote in local elections if you have been convicted and sentenced for an indictable offence and are in custody, or, if you have been found guilty of an election offence, such as intimidation or vote-buying.
Get ready to vote by registering or updating your information via the Elections BC website, before registration closes, midnight Oct. 7. After Oct. 7, you can still register in person when you go to vote, but voting might take a bit longer.
How do I vote?
Advance voting, an option for all eligible voters, can be carried out throughout B.C. Oct. 10-13 and 15-16, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polling stations are closed Oct. 14 for Thanksgiving.
On voting day itself, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 19, voters have an assigned voting place, located on their Where to Vote card, given when registering to vote, or via the Elections BC website. Other voting places are an option if they are more convenient to visit.
Alternatively, votes can be cast at any district electoral office throughout B.C. from now until 4 p.m. on the 19th. A full list of all electoral offices can be found on the Elections BC website.
Should you prefer to mark your ballot paper the old school way, vote-by-mail package requests are available online and by phone until Oct. 13. The package will be mailed to an address or be available to be picked up at a district electoral office.
Vote-by-mail packages can be picked up in person until 4 p.m. on Oct. 19. Elections BC must receive completed packages before 8 p.m. that day.
Where can I vote?
Elections BC will deliver registered voters their Where to Vote cards in the mail before advance voting starts Oct. 10.
A map of advance voting places can be also found via the Elections BC website, as can the full list of final voting day places.
What next?
Following the final voting day on October 19, the final count will be made between Oct. 26 and Oct. 28.
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
