Elections BC is anticipating a high volume of mail-in ballots for the upcoming snap election scheduled for Oct. 24.
The election, which was called on Monday by BC Premier John Horgan, will mark the first time British Columbia has held an election during a pandemic and as a result, officials are preparing for a different landscape when it comes to voting.
According to Elections BC, the volume of voters sending mail-in ballots could be as high as 35 per cent on Oct. 24 as a result of British Columbians taking extra caution amid COVID-19. The non-partisan office adds that in a typical election, British Columbia only sees around one per cent of ballots mailed in.
“Our survey work that we conducted over the summer months consistently put the range of 35 to 40 per cent of British Columbians who expressed an interest in voting by mail, one of the remote voting options that we have in B.C.,” Chief Electoral Officer Anton Boegman says.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Electoral Officer Boegman and Dr. Bonnie Henry revealed details of the various voting options that residents will have for the upcoming election.
For British Columbians who would prefer to mail-in their ballot, they must request a vote-by-mail package online at elections.bc.ca/ovr or over the phone at 1-800-661-8683.
Boegman said on Tuesday that within 24 hours of the election being called, Elections BC has already received over 20,000 requests for vote-by-mail packages – a significant increase from the 6,500 mail-in ballots that were received in 2017.
Porter noted that completed packages must be received by Elections BC by 8 p.m. PT in order to be counted. He pointed out, however, that voters can request packages up until 4 p.m. on October 24, barring someone falls ill or plans change amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The heightened interest in sending mail-in packages could equate to around 800,000 votes, says Elections BC, which could translate to delayed results.
“The duration of time between initial count and final count is critical to the integrity of the electoral process,” he says. “During this time, we screen all of the absentee ballots to ensure that the voter who cast them is registered, is voting correctly in their electoral district, and has not voted previously in this election. Because of this requirement to ensure only one vote per voter, this cannot take place until following the close of voting on general voting day.”
With high numbers of absentee and mail-in ballots expected, Boegman believes there is a chance the screening process could take longer than normal.
Elections BC also indicated that there will be options for assisted telephone voting for at-risk British Columbians as well as services offered to those in care facilities and hospitals.
New health and safety protocols
Voting at the polls will look and feel quite different on October 24 then it has during previous elections as a new set of regulations are being installed amid COVID-19.
According to Elections BC, planning for a possible election began back in April after the global pandemic brought most of the world grinding to a halt.
The agency said that it has worked alongside Dr. Henry to survey voters and build a plan that aligns with provincial health and safety protocols.
For the upcoming election, voters will be allowed to cast a ballot in-person at any of the polling stations, however, officials are still encouraging people to use their assigned local centre.
The elections agency says that 50 person gathering limits will not apply to polling stations, but each location will have a set capacity based on size.
Masks will not be required, however, if voters opt to wear them, they will not be asked to remove them during the voter verification process.
Advanced voting stations will be available for seven days, instead of six during the previous election in 2017. Advanced polls will be open between Thursday, Oct. 15 to Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT.
Like many businesses amid new health and safety protocols, officials will be required to wear personal protective equipment, there will be physical barriers constructed, and enhanced cleaning protocols will be put in place.
As part of the developed safety plan, voters will notice changes to things like the secrecy sleeve, return envelop, and the ballot itself.
In order to limit contact, most of the high contact package assembly will be done by a machine during this election, similar to what has been seen during the referendum processes.
In-person voters will be asked to sanitize their hands before and after they vote and they will not be allowed to touch the ballot box.
Voters will be allowed to bring their own pencils.
Schools will still be used as polling locations, however, Elections BC says that in-person voting will only be allowed at these locations when school is not in session.
On Saturday, October 24, polling stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
April Lawrence
Graham Cox
