Update at 8:03 p.m.:
Polls are now closed in Cariboo North and across the province. Watch for updates throughout the night at quesnelobserver.com and the Quesnel Cariboo Observer Facebook page.
Original story:
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:
Polling locations:
Voting places will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time.
- Barlow Creek Community Hall, 3801 Trembley Rd., Quesnel
- Big Lake Community Hall, 4056 Lakeview Rd., Big Lake
- Bouchie Lake Community Hall, 1975 Centennial Rd., Bouchie Lake
- Correlieu Secondary School, 805 Anderson Dr., Quesnel
- Dragon Lake Elementary School, 2655 Quesnel-Hydraulic Rd., Quesnel
- Horsefly Community Hall, 5772 Horsefly Rd., Horsefly
- Kersley Community Hall, 4829 Edwards Rd., Kersley
- Lakeview Elementary School, 1525 Beryl St., Quesnel
- Likely Community Hall, 6281 Rosette Lake Rd., Likely
- McLeese Lake Community Hall, 6178 Forglen Rd., McLeese Lake
- Miocene Community Hall, 3615 Horsefly Rd., Miocene
- Nazko Valley Community Centre, 9560 Nazko Rd., Nazko
- Parkland Rec. Commission, 5018 Bjornson Rd., Ten Mile Lake
- Quesnel and District Seniors’ Centre, 461 Carson Ave., Quesnel
- Red Bluff Lhtako Elementary School, 1533 Maple Dr., Quesnel
- Wells Community Hall, 4269 Sanders Ave., Wells
- Wildwood Fire Hall, 4253 Wildwood Rd., Williams Lake
Candidates running in the riding:
Voter registration:
Voter registration for the provincial election is now closed online and by phone, but you can still register or update your information when you vote in person or by mail.
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
READ MORE: B.C. VOTES 2020: Three of four Cariboo North candidates face off in only confrontation of election
editor@quesnelobserver.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
