Voting sign. (Black Press files)

Voting sign. (Black Press files)

B.C. VOTES 2020: Advance voting begins today in North Island

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 tomorrow.

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.

READ MORE: Here’s how voting amid a pandemic will happen in B.C.

Here’s what you need to know before you vote:

Advance polling locations:

Advance voting places will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time on the days they are open.

Port Hardy – The Civic Centre, 7450 Columbia Street

Port McNeill – The Community Hall, 1473 Broughton Blvd

Port Alice – The Community Hall, 951 Marine Drive

Alert Bay – The Community Hall, 185 Cedar Street

Sointula – The Athletic Hall, 110 13th Avenue

Woss – Woss Lake Rec Hall, 4502 MacRae Drive

* To find your location go to https://wheretovote.elections.bc.ca/

Candidates running in the riding:

NDP – Michelle Babchuck

Liberal – Norm Facey

Green – Alexandra Morton

Conservative – John Twigg

Voter registration:

While eligible voters don’t have to register ahead of time to take part in the election, Elections BC recommends British Columbians sign up ahead of time in order to avoid lengthy lineups.

Voters can register or update their information online at elections.bc.ca/ovr or by calling 1-800-661-8683. Registration closed on Sept. 26.

To be eligible, British Columbians must be able to show one of the following pieces of identification:

  • A B.C. driver’s licence
  • A B.C. Identification Card
  • A B.C. Services Card, with photo
  • A Certificate of Indian Status
  • Another card issued by the B.C. government, or Canada, that shows your name, photo and address

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 (such as masks and face-visors)
  • Protective barriers
  • Hand sanitizing stations
  • Frequent cleaning of voting stations and frequently touched surfaces
  • Election workers trained on safe workplace guidelines and pandemic protocol

– with files from Ashley Wadhwani

North Island Gazette