Final day to vote in the B.C. election

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Hello,

The final voting day for the B.C. election is tomorrow, Oct. 19.

Over the past month, The Discourse team has been working away to get answers to your questions about the election and to the questions you had for candidates.

We created a separate voting guide that encompasses the multiple ridings for each of our communities: Nanaimo, Comox Valley and the Cowichan Valley. In the guide, you’ll find information on candidates, parties, how and where to vote, what riding you’re in, fact-checking and more.

But I wanted to lay it all out for you in this newsletter, too.

Below you’ll find information on voting, the new polling machines, and links to all of our stories regarding the election.

I also want to take a moment to thank you, on behalf of the entire team at The Discourse, for your help guiding our election coverage. Your survey responses, newsletter replies, emails and comments online have been so insightful. I hope you found some value in our reporting! If you did, please consider supporting The Discourse so we can continue to do work like this.

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With gratitude,

Island Editor

How do I vote?

• If you are at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen and a resident of B.C. since April 18, 2024, you are eligible to vote. You don’t need a photo ID to vote but you do need to prove your identity and address.

• You can vote at any district electoral office or voting place in the province, as long as you have proof of identity and address.

• You do not need a voter card to vote.

• Voting day is on Oct. 19, 2024. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. More information on how to vote can be found on Elections BC’s website.

• Voters are entitled to four consecutive hours free from work to vote during advance polls or on election day. This doesn’t mean you’ll receive four hours off work, but that voters must have a four-hour period free from work during voting hours. Voting hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Where do I vote, and what do I need to vote?

Voters have an assigned voting place, but you are also able to vote at any other voting place if it’s more convenient to you. That means you can still vote in-person if you’re out of town but within the province. You do not need a voting card to vote.

You can find your local voting place using Elections BC's online tool. If you did receive a voting card, it will also include your assigned voting place.

Voters must prove their identity and residential address in order to vote. You can do so by showing identification such as a B.C. driver’s licence or services card or showing two pieces of government-issued identification or documents that both show your name and have your address on at least one of them. For example, this could be a combination of a passport or birth certificate and a bank statement or residential lease.

A third option, if voters don’t have identification, is to have someone vouch for you. The voucher must be a registered voter resident in your electoral district or a spouse, parent, grandparent, adult child, adult grandchild or adult sibling. They could also be a person with the authority to make personal care decisions for the voter.

Find more information about what you need to vote.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19.

What’s up with the new voting technology?

This year, networked laptops will be used to look up voters and cross them off the voters list, instead of using paper lists. Elections BC says this will reduce line-ups and make the voting process more efficient.

Electronic tabulators will also be used to count paper ballots this year. This means almost all ballots will be counted on election night — a departure from past elections when absentee and mail-in ballots could not be counted until two weeks after election day.

An accessible voting system will also be available in every district electoral office, giving voters the option to listen to an audio recording of the candidate list for their district and cast their vote using a handheld device, sip-and-puff straws or paddles.

Elections BC — an independent office of the legislature that is not affiliated with any political party — says the tabulators are secure and undergo rigorous testing before and after they are used. They are never connected to the internet, to prevent hacking, and physical access to the tabulators is limited to election officials.

The tabulators are not voting machines, they just count paper ballots marked by voters — a gold standard in election administration, according to Elections BC, because a paper ballot cannot be hacked.

Learn more about election integrity processes on the Elections BC website.

The Discourse’s election stories

Hundreds of people packed the gym at the Beban Park Social Centre on Sept. 12 for a rally by the Fair Care Alliance demanding that provincial election candidates commit to building a cardiac cath lab and new patient tower at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Photo by Mick Sweetman/The Discourse

The Discourse has published a series of stories in the lead-up to the election. These include election guides for each of our communities (and the multiple ridings within them) and responses to your questions from local candidates. Find a list of our stories below.

Stories from The Discourse Nanaimo

Nanaimo’s guide to the B.C. election: Information on riding boundaries, local candidates, party information and more.

What are candidates in Nanaimo saying about health care?

What are candidates in Nanaimo saying about homelessness and social supports?

What are candidates in Nanaimo saying about affordability?

What are candidates in Nanaimo saying about housing?

What are candidates in Nanaimo saying about the environment?

What did Nanaimo-Lantzville candidates say at an all-candidates debate?

Involuntary addictions treatment: Here’s what experts want you to know before you vote

Stories from The Discourse Comox Valley

Comox Valley’s guide to the B.C. election: Information on riding boundaries, local candidates, party information and more.

What B.C. election issues are top of mind in the Comox Valley?

What are the Comox Valley candidates saying about health care?

What are Comox Valley provincial election candidates saying about housing?

What do the Comox Valley’s provincial election candidates say about environmental issues?

Comox Valley candidates talk education at local forum

Involuntary addictions treatment: Here’s what experts want you to know before you vote

Stories from The Discourse Cowichan

Cowichan Valley’s guide to the B.C. election: Information on riding boundaries, local candidates, party information and more.

What are Cowichan Valley candidates saying about health care?

What are Cowichan Valley candidates saying about the environment?

What are Cowichan Valley candidates saying about homelessness and social supports?

What are Cowichan Valley election candidates saying about housing?

What B.C. election issues are top of mind in the Cowichan Valley?

Involuntary addictions treatment: Here’s what experts want you to know before you vote

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