VANCOUVER -- The most classic non-partisan voting advice is to "vote early and vote often."
This year, due to COVID-19, BC Elections is providing voters with extra time to get their votes in early, ahead of the Oct. 24 general voting day.
“An extra day has been added to give voters more opportunities to vote, and to help reduce numbers in voting places as a pandemic response measure,” reads a news release from Elections BC.
Advance voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15 and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 21.
In the 2017 provincial election, officials gave six days for advance voting, but this year it’s being upped to seven.
“Voters should note that some voting places won’t be open on every advance voting day,” continues the Elections BC news release.
Advance voting locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time on the days they’re scheduled to be open. The website listing every single voting station in B.C., along with its hours of operation, can be found here. Advance voting stations are marked on the map with an indigo blue checkmark icon.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, B.C. health officials, including Dr. Bonnie Henry, are requiring voting centres to follow several specific health measures. These include physical distancing, voting place capacity limits, elections officials wearing masks and face-shields, plexi-glass Plexiglas barriers, frequent cleaning and hand sanitizing stations throughout.
The elections agency has several resources on its website to help voters prepare to cast their ballots, including a guide on how to vote safely during the pandemic, what ID is required to vote, and information on special services for what the agency calls “at-risk” voters and voters with disabilities.
An Elections BC hotline is also available, and voters are encouraged to call with any questions they might have: 1-800-661-8683.
