More than 400,000 ballots have been requested in the week since NDP Leader John Horgan called an election.
According to Elections BC, there have been approximately 406,000 ballots requested as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday (Sept. 27). The snap election was called last Monday (Sept. 21), in what Horgan said was an attempt to secure stability for B.C. throughout the pandemic. The next election, which had been scheduled for Oct. 2021, will now take place on Oct. 24 of this year.
Although asking for a ballot does not guarantee that a person will vote, the number of mail-in ballots requested this year has already dwarfed the 6,500 people who voted by mail in the last provincial election in 2017. Elections BC had estimated that 800,000 could vote by mail this year, far above the typical one per cent of voters, possibly leaving the province without an official party in charge till the final count, which will begin Nov. 6; 13 days after election day.
To vote by mail, British Columbians must request a voting package at elections.bc.ca/ovr or by phone at 1-800-661-8683. Completed voting packages must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Oct. 24.
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