Give yourselves a pat on the back!
A record number of British Columbians have cast their ballots in advance of the upcoming provincial election, according to Elections BC.
As of Wednesday, 1,001,331 people had voted in advance polls, accounting for more than 28% of registered voters. This significant turnout puts the province on track for high overall voter participation in the election scheduled for Saturday, October 19th.
On the final day of advance voting, approximately 223,000 voters cast their ballots, breaking the single-day record set the day prior by over 40,000 votes.
The previous advance voting record was set during the 2020 provincial election, when about 670,000 people voted early, representing 19% of registered voters. That election took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to an increase in early voting.
On Vancouver Island, advance turnout has been notable in ridings like Oak Bay-Gordon Head (39%) and Victoria-Beacon Hill (37.2%), where Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau is running.
The most votes were cast in Saanich North and the Islands (18,277), Courtenay-Comox (18,173), and Oak Bay-Gordon Head (16,315).
Here’s how many votes where casted in Vancouver Island ridings:
- Courtenay-Comox: 18,173
- Cowichan Valley: 12,162
- Esquimalt-Colwood: 15,751
- Juan de Fuca-Malahat: 13,360
- Ladysmith-Oceanside: 15,655
- Langford-Highlands: 11,702
- Mid Island-Pacific Rim: 12,116
- Nanaimo-Gabriola Island: 14,141
- Nanaimo-Lantzville: 15,032
- North Island: 12,158
- Oak Bay-Gordon Head: 16,315
- Saanich North and the Islands: 18,277
- Saanich South: 13,123
- Victoria-Beacon Hill: 15,992
- Victoria-Swan Lake: 11,636
Related:
- Here’s a breakdown of all Greater Victoria’s candidates for the provincial election
- BC Transit will be free for these Vancouver Island communities on election day
- Recent poll shows BC NDP take lead over Conservatives as election day draws near
The final voting day will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 19th.
