Skip to content

B.C. VOTES 2020: How to vote early and what to expect on the ballot

Advance voting runs from Oct. 15 to Oct. 21 in B.C.’s election
23008561_web1_20171212-BPD-voting-place-bc
Advance polling begins on Oct. 15, 2020, across B.C. in the 2020 snap election. (Black Press files) Advance voting starts today.—Image: Black Press files

With advance voting open for British Columbians, here is some of what to expect on the ballots when you go to vote.

Advance voting runs from Oct. 15 to Oct. 21, with Election Day on Oct. 24.

Elections BC had received roughly 670,000 vote-by-mail package requests as of Oct. 14. There are 3.48 million registered voters in B.C.

READ MORE: Here’s how voting amid a pandemic will happen in B.C.

Here’s what you need to know before you vote:

Advance polling locations:

Advance voting places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday to Wednesday Oct. 15-21 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Penticton Seniors Centre at 2965 South Main St, Penticton

Days Inn Penticton at 152 Riverside Dr, Penticton

Penticton Lakeside Resort Hotel at 21 W Lakeshore Dr, Penticton

All three advance voting locations are wheelchair accessible.

Candidates running in the riding:

The Penticton Western News has interviewed the candidates in the riding, and their bios and interviews can be found on the pages below:

Dan Ashton, BC Liberal

Toni Boot, BC NDP

Keith MacIntyre, BC Libertarian

Ted Shumaker, BC Green

Voter registration:

While eligible voters don’t have to register ahead of time to take part in the election, Elections BC recommends British Columbians sign up ahead of time in order to avoid lengthy lineups.

Voters can register or update their information online at elections.bc.ca/ovr or by calling 1-800-661-8683. Registration closed on Sept. 26.

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