Wednesday marks final day for advance voting in 2020 B.C. Election

Voters have one last chance to cast an early ballot in the 2020 B.C. Election, as advance voting officially closes at 8:00 pm on Wednesday.

Advance voting was first opened to the public last Thursday, October 15th, giving people seven days to cast a ballot at an early polling station.

Voters also had the option of requesting and submitting mail-in ballots prior to Saturday’s election. The most recent mail-in ballot figures from Elections BC as of publishing include just over 725,000 requests, with about 304,500 mail-in ballots being successfully received. Those numbers don’t include ballots currently in transit by mail or those dropped off a district electoral office or voting location.

Open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, advance voting will officially close by the end of the day Wednesday. Those still wanting to cast an early ballot before election day on Saturday, October 24th can do so at various voting locations in their riding.

Elections BC offered the following guidelines for advance voting:

• Check Where to Vote card
• Visit the Elections BC website
  • wheretovote.elections.bc.ca
• Call Elections BC
  • 1-800-661-8683

Heading into the provincial election, Elections BC said providing safe in-person voting opportunities has been a key focus.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, Elections BC has worked with the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and WorkSafeBC to develop safe voting plans.”

Anyone voting in-person will notice the following protective measures at their voting station:

• Physical distancing
• Voting place capacity limits
• Election officials wearing personal protective equipment including face masks and visors
• Protective barriers at voting stations
• Hand sanitizing stations at the entry and exit of voting places
• Frequent cleaning of voting booths and high-touch surfaces
• Election officials trained on safe workplace guidelines and pandemic safety protocols
• Elections BC said anyone that may have further questions about where, when, or how to vote can contact Elections BC directly at 1-800-661-8683.

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MORE: Services for at-risk voters or voters with disabilities (Elections BC)