42nd Provincial Election Results (projected)

In B.C., there are 87 different electoral districts (aka ridings). You are voting for a candidate to represent you and your riding as one of 87 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Victoria.

A little reminder that your provincial riding is not the same as your federal riding. To find your provincial riding, use this map.

Where and when can I vote?

On Voting Day - October 24, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Pacific time)
Every voter is assigned a voting place depending on where you live. Check your Voter Information Card for the location and address, or look it up at Elections BC.

Advance Polls - October 15-21, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Local time)
You don't need any reason to vote in advance and sometimes it's just nice to get voting done early! Your Voter Information Card should include information on where your voting station is for these dates. There's a chance it's not the same as your Voting Day location so double check. Also voting places might not be open during all days of the advance voting period.

At a district electoral office - any day now until 4:00 PM on October 24
If you can't wait to vote, you can do it right now! Offices are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. They are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during advance voting. See the full list of district electoral offices (PDF).

Vote by mail
If you're away from B.C. during the election, you can request a vote-by-mail package. Actually, you don't need any reason to vote-by-mail and it's a good option if you're also playing it safe with the COVID-19 pandemic. Request your package here.

To be eligible to vote in British Columbia, you must be:

• 18 or older by Voting Day
• a Canadian citizen
• a resident of B.C. for the past six months as of Voting Day

Do I need to register to vote?

Yes.

However, if you haven't registered yet, you can still vote. All you need to do is bring ID with you to the polling station when you vote on Election Day, during advance voting, or at the district electoral office. They'll register you on the spot!

Yes. To keep everyone at polling stations safe, you'll be asked to show your ID to an election official, and verbally declare you're eligible to vote.

If you have a B.C. Driver's License, B.C. Identification Card, B.C. Services Card, a certificate of Indian status, or any government issued card that has your name, photo and address, that's all you need!

If you don't have one of those, head to Elections BC to see their long list of what you can bring to prove your identity.

At voting stations, you can expect physical distancing, capacity limits, election workers wearing PPE, protective barriers etc. Basically, all the things that's become part of your trip to the grocery store.

Single-use pencils will be provided to mark your ballots but you are welcome to bring your own pencil. And don't be afraid to wear a mask. You will not be asked to take it off to vote.

Check out this link for more info.

Voters are entitled to four consecutive hours free from work to vote during advance voting or on General Voting Day.

This doesn't mean you get to just take off from work for four hours though. It just means you have to be given a window of four hours to vote at some point during the day. So if you work from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, you still have four hours before your shift begins to vote (8:00 AM to 12:00 PM).

Your boss can't dock your pay or penalize you for taking time to vote. You actually have to be paid your regular wage for the hours you're not working while you vote. Have that conversation with your employer now!

For more info on Time off Work for voting, click here.

If you already know you're going to be busy or away on vacation (lucky you) on October 24, make a plan to vote early!

Advance voting days are October 15-21.

You can also vote now at any electoral district office. Find the nearest one to you here!

If you're a student who is eligible to vote in B.C., you can register and vote in either the electoral district where you reside while going to school or the electoral district you usually live in when you’re not at school (like maybe with your parents).

If you're a student from another province, you can vote if you're eligible. You must register using the B.C. address where you live while attending school.

If you're away from B.C. during the election, you can request a vote-by-mail package. Actually, you don't need any reason to vote-by-mail and it's a good option if you're also playing it safe with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Request your package here.

Let's say you just moved and the address on your Driver's License isn't up to date yet. No worries!

Look up where to vote at the Elections BC website and bring proof of your new address. They'll update your registration for you and let you vote right away.

In order to vote, you have to register. But folks who are homeless don't have a permanent address. So what do you do? You can use the address of a shelter, hostel or similar institution that provides food, lodging or other social services.

When you vote you also need to show ID, which can be a challenge for homeless people. If you don't have any ID, you can have someone vouch for you. The voucher must be:

• a registered voter resident in the riding you want to vote in, or
• a spouse, parent, grandparent, adult child, adult grandchild or adult sibling of the voter, or
• a person with the authority to make personal care decisions for the voter

We're thrilled that you're already excited to vote even though you can't this year.

If you're 16 or 17, you can register as a future voter and be added to the voters list on your 18th birthday.

Otherwise, you can talk to eligible voters in your life about what you care about and why they should vote. Encourage them to use their voices to support you, themselves and your community!