Advance voting for B.C. election begins today

British Columbians can head to the polls beginning today for advance voting in the provincial election.

Advance voting begins Friday, Oct. 16 and continues for six days until Wednesday, Oct. 21. Voting places are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., local time, each advance voting day.

Elections BC will publish advance voting turnout statistics throughout the advance-voting period. The statistics will be available on its website.

Elections BC says advance voting is open for all eligible voters, and most advance voting places are wheelchair accessible. Voters can also vote at any voting place in the province.

Where to vote

A list of advance voting places can be found here, while people can also input their addresses here to find the closest voting locations.

Elections BC has also sent Where to Vote cards to every registered voter in the province, which lists advance voting locations in their electoral district and their assigned voting place for final voting day.

People can also call Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683 for more information.

What to bring

Elections BC says voters are encouraged to bring their Where to Vote cards with them when they vote.

Voters must also prove their identity and address before voting. Elections BC says there are three ways to do this.

The first option is showing one of the following pieces of ID: a B.C. driver’s licence, a B.C. Identification Card, a B.C. Services Card, another card issued by the Government of B.C. or Canada that shows your name, photo and address or a Certificate of Indian Status.

The second option is showing any two pieces of ID or documents that both show your name and at least one must have your current address. Examples include: B.C. CareCard, B.C. Services Card (without a photo), birth certificate, Canadian Forces photo ID card, citizenship certificate, citizenship or membership cards issued by a B.C. First Nation governing body, among other IDs. Other documents can include: a Canada Child Tax Benefit statement, government cheque or cheque stub, income tax assessment notice, property tax assessment, school admissions letter or report card, student card, tuition or fees statement, bank or credit card statements, BC Métis Federation membership card, hospital bracelet/document, insurance statement, mortgage statement or personal cheques printed by a bank, another other documents.

The third option is for voters who don’t have identification can have their identity vouched for by another person. The voucher must be: a registered voter resident in the voter’s electoral district; 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.

Elections BC says vouchers must provide acceptable identification.

A full list for all three options can be found here.

Final voting day is Saturday, Oct. 24. For a list of final voting day locations, click here.