It’s officially Election Day in B.C.’s 2020 provincial snap election.
First called in September by B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan, BC Votes 2020 is likely going to be one for the history books, already seeing a number of records broken when it comes to voter turnout.
Roughly 681,000 people cast their ballot during the seven days of advanced voting that ended Wednesday, compared to 614,389 in 2017.
Meanwhile, 478,900 returned vote-by-mail packages had been received by Elections BC by Oct. 22, representing 66 per cent of the packages requested.
It is expected that some ridings will see preliminary results as to which candidate will likely take a seat in the B.C. Legislature by the end of day Saturday. Meanwhile, close races will have to wait until mid-November for the winner to be declared, once mail-in ballots are counted by Elections BC officials after Nov. 6.
Haven’t voted? There’s still time. Here’s what you need to know:
Residents in the Trail area can vote at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 11 – located at 2141 Columbia Avenue East Trail – or downtown at the Trail Memorial Centre on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Those with physical ailments may find easier access to the voting stations at the Legion. Parking is on Columbia Avenue and there’s a ramp right off the street leading up to the side door entrance into the polls.
Candidates running in the riding:
• Glen Byle (Conservative) Bio here: Glen Byle
• Katrine Conroy (NDP) Bio here: Katrine Conroy
• Andrew Duncan (Green) Bio here: Andrew Duncan
• Corbin Kelley (Liberal) Bio here: Corbin Kelley
• Fletcher Quince (Independent) Bio here: Fletcher Quince
• Ed Varney (Independent) Bio here: Ed Varney
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.
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 protocols
– with files from Ashley Wadhwani
