BC election calendar lays out fall voting dates amid political turmoil

A provincial election is scheduled for 2028. But with BC’s opposition fractured and speculation growing about an early vote, Elections BC has published a calendar showing exactly what would happen if an election were called this fall.

The document is a planning tool, not an election announcement. It says BC’s next scheduled provincial election is October 21st, 2028, while noting that a government can seek an earlier election or lose the confidence of the legislature.

Still, its timing has drawn attention during an extraordinary stretch in provincial politics. Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned as BC Conservative leader on Sunday, following weeks of departures and expulsions from the party’s caucus.

The party has named Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson interim leader.

If an election were called between September 16th and September 22nd, advance voting would run from October 16th to October 21st, with final voting day on Saturday, October 24th.

A call between September 23rd and September 29th would put voting day on Saturday, October 31st.

A call between September 30th and October 6th would mean a November 7th vote.

Elections BC lists further scenarios through late December. These are possible dates, contingent on an election being called.

The earliest scenario would put the first day of provincial advance voting one day before BC’s municipal election on October 17th.

Local candidates are already campaigning, and municipal leaders have urged Premier David Eby to leave room for that vote.

Union of BC Municipalities president Cori Ramsay called on him to respect the local election process, which takes place once every four years.

Eby has not announced one; however, last week, he pointed to the government’s narrow majority and said the NDP was “election-ready,” adding that Elections BC should be ready too.

Those remarks came as the BC Conservatives faced a rapid series of caucus losses.

Findlay’s resignation over the weekend only intensified the uncertainty. Surrey-Serpentine River MLA Linda Hepner left the Conservative caucus earlier on Sunday, after Findlay had removed former leader John Rustad, former interim leader Trevor Halford and MLA Claire Rattee on Friday.

Global News reported that Hepner’s departure left the Conservative caucus with 25 MLAs.

The political field is also changing. Former Conservative MLA Peter Milobar now leads CentreBC, which has eight MLAs, including others who left the Conservatives.

An early election would test whether that new party can turn its presence in the legislature into support at the ballot box.

A recent Angus Reid Institute survey suggests the outcome is far from settled. Conducted before Findlay resigned, it put the BC NDP at 41% in voting intention and the Conservatives at 37%.

Half of respondents said it was time for a change in government, while 51% said they had no party they could enthusiastically support. Those findings describe a divided electorate, not a forecast of election results.

For now, voters have one confirmed provincewide date, which is October 17th, for local elections.

Doerkson will be holding a press conference in Richmond on Tuesday, September 22nd, accompanied by members of the B.C. Conservative Caucus.

Do you think the BC NDP should call a snap election? Let us know in the comments section below.