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British Columbians can vote in two elections on Saturday, October 17, but they want to make sure they are on the right list.
Regional head election day coincides with the second day of provincial voting, meaning eligible voters can cast both ballots but generally in different locations.
“This is a very rare circumstance and we completely understand that this can be a little confusing for voters,” Elections BC spokesperson Colleen Hildebrandt told Global News Morning on Saturday.
He said Elections BC has never experienced this overlap since it became an independent office in 1995.
Voting locations for local elections are available on local government websites. Voters at the provincial level can check their Where to Vote card or enter their address in the search tool at elections.bc.ca.
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Some buildings hosted both elections, Hildebrandt said, with separate voting areas marked by signs.
“Our election workers on site are happy to assist any voter,” he said.
Early voting at the provincial level continues until Wednesday, October 21, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm local time, ahead of election day on Saturday, October 24. Voters can use any early voting location, but should check the schedule as not all polling places are open every day.
More than a million people cast their ballots early in the last provincial election, Hildebrandt said. While it’s too early to know whether this election will follow that trend, he said early voting is the right choice.
“So anyone who is traveling on the weekend or has a little free time can come to any polling place,” he said. “It takes about 10 minutes.”
Voting Place Cards are not required, and eligible provincial voters can register when they arrive. They require identification.
Hildebrandt said voters can bring two forms of identification, both showing their name, and at least one also showing their current home address.
Anyone with questions can call the Elections BC call center at 1-800-661-8683.
“We recognize that this is a very unique situation and people need to know where to go for every election,” Hildebrandt said. “It’s very exciting and very important for people to get out and vote.”
