Advance polling begins on Oct. 15, 2020, across B.C. in the 2020 snap election. (Black Press files)

Advance polling begins on Oct. 15, 2020, across B.C. in the 2020 snap election. (Black Press files)

B.C. VOTES 2020: Advance voting begins today here’s how in Greater Victoria

Advance voting runs from Oct. 15 to Oct. 21 in B.C.'s election

  • Oct. 15, 2020 12:00 a.m.

British Columbians who have already made up their minds in the provincial election will be able to cast their ballots in-person, starting today.

Advance voting runs from Oct. 15 to Oct. 21, with Election Day on Oct. 24.

Elections BC had received roughly 670,000 vote-by-mail package requests as of Oct. 14. There are 3.48 million registered voters in B.C.

Where to vote:

Victoria-Swan Lake

Advanced voting (all advance voting polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

• Braefoot Elementary School (1440 Harrop Rd.): Oct. 15-16 and Oct. 19-21

• Church of Latter Day Saints (2990 Quadra St.): Oct. 15-16 and Oct. 19-21

• Craigflower Elementary School (2766 Admirals Rd.): Oct. 17-18

• Kiwanis Village (1419 Mallek Cres.): Oct. 15-16 and Oct. 19-21

• Lutheran Church of the Cross (3787 Cedar Hill Rd.): Oct. 15-16 and Oct. 19-21

• Oaklands Elementary School (2827 Belmont Ave.): Oct. 17-18

• Royal Canadian Legion 31 – Trafalgar (411 Gorge Rd. E): Oct. 15-16 and Oct. 19-21

• Tillicum Elementary School (3155 Albina St.): Oct. 17-18

Victoria-Beacon Hill

• Central Middle School (1280 Fort St.): Oct. 17-18

• Cook Street Village Activity Centre (1-380 Cook St.): Oct. 18-21

• DaVinci Centre (195 Bay St.): Oct. 15-21

• George Jay Elementary School (1118 Princess Ave): Oct. 17-18

• James Bay Community School (140 Oswego St.): Oct. 17-18

• Sir James Douglas Elementary School (401 Moss St): Oct. 17-18

Langford-Juan de Fuca

• Luxton Community Hall (1040 Marwood Ave.): Oct. 15-21

• Millstream Village – Unit C (105-2401 Millstream Rd.): Oct. 15-21

• SEAPARC Leisure Centre (2168 Phillips Rd.): Oct. 15-21

Esquimalt-Metchosin

• Colwood Pentecostal Church (2250 Sooke Rd.): Oct. 15-21

• Esquimalt Recreation Centre (527 Fraser St.): Oct. 15-21

• Esquimalt United Church (500 Admirals Rd.): Oct. 15-21

• Metchosin Community Hall (4401 William Head Rd.): Oct. 15-21

• Strawberry Vale Community Hall (11 High St.): Oct. 15-21

• West Shore Parks and Recreation (1767 Island Hwy.): Oct. 15-21

Saanich North and the Islands

• Community Gospel Chapel (147 Vesuvius Bay Rd.): Oct. 15-17, Oct. 19-21

• Gateway Park – Block E (2261 Keating Cross Rd.): Oct. 15-21

• Mary Winspear Centre (2243 Beacon Ave.): Oct. 15-21

• Pender Island School (5714 Canal Rd.): Oct. 17-18

Saanich South

• Lake Hill Elementary School (1031 Lucas Ave.): Oct. 17

• Saanich Community Church (4566 West Saanich Rd.): Oct. 15-20

• Victoria Hellenic Community Centre (4648 Elk Lake Dr.): Oct. 15-16, Oct. 18-21

Oak Bay-Gordon Head

• Broad View United Church at Arbutus (2625 Arbutus Rd.): Oct. 19-21

• Emmanuel Baptist Church (2121 Cedar Hill Cross Rd.): Oct. 15-16

• Maria Montessori Academy (1841 Fairburn Dr.): Oct. 17-18

• Monterey Middle School (851 Monterey Ave.): Oct. 17-18

• University Heights Mall (3980 Shelbourne St.) Oct. 15-16, Oct. 19-21

• Uplands International Program School (3461 Henderson Rd.) Oct. 17-18

READ MORE: B.C. Votes 2020

How to vote:

Voters must bring valid identification that shows their name and home address. Bringing your Where to Vote card – which should arrive by mail – will speed up the voting process.

Valid identification could be a B.C. driver’s licence, a B.C. identification card, a B.C. services card, an Indian Status card or another card issued by the provincial or federal government that shows a name, photo and address.

Alternately, voters can show any two pieces of identification that both show their name. At least one must have a current address. Examples include a citizenship certificate, Canada child tax benefit statement, property tax assessment and many more. For a full list of valid identification, visit elections.bc.ca.

People are encouraged to bring a mask to wear while voting. Elections BC says voters will not be asked to remove their masks to vote. All voting locations will have COVID-19 protective measures in place, including physical distancing, capacity limits, protective barriers, hand sanitizing stations and frequent cleaning of voting stations.

For general voting locations visit, wheretovote.elections.bc.ca, or check your mail for your Where to Vote app, which lists an assigned voting place. It is faster to vote at an assigned voting location but residents can vote at another place more convenient to them.

Health rules for voting during COVID-19:

All voting places and district electoral offices will have protective measures in place, including:

  • Physical distancing
  • Capacity limits
  • Election officials wearing personal protective equipment
  • Protective barriers
  • Hand sanitizing stations
  • Frequent cleaning of voting stations and frequently touched surfaces
  • Election workers trained on safe workplace guidelines and pandemic protocols

– With files from Nina Grossman

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