Why so many British Columbians have taken to voting early

This year’s provincial election is on pace to break the overall record for advance polling set in 2020 with nearly 670,000 early votes.

As of Tuesday, over 500,000 British Columbians have already cast their ballots, with daily turnout surpassing 100,000 from October 10 to 13 — setting new daily records.

Elections BC said more than 181,000 people voted on Tuesday, breaking a record set on the first day of voting last week. The agency says 778,000 people had already cast their ballots ahead of Wednesday’s final day of advance voting.

Despite the impressive turnout, one political expert says the surge in proactive voting offers little insight.

“I don’t think we can read into it,” Hamish Telford said. “It’s certainly not a party advantage or an indication that we’ll see higher voter turnout,” he added.

The University of the Fraser Valley political science professor suggests that convenience is likely the key factor driving voters to the polls ahead of time.

“Elections BC has done a lot to make it more convenient, and people are taking advantage of it.”

Changes to the Election Act, enacted in 2022, have improved accessibility by introducing electronic systems for smoother operations. Advance voting has been steadily increasing since it was introduced in 1996, with notable growth starting in 2005.

Telford speculates that the absence of B.C. United, formerly the BC Liberals, along with increased encouragement from political parties, may be influencing more people to vote early in this provincial election.

“It’s also the case that we’ve seen this Conservative wave sweep across the province, and [the election] is perceived to be close. And when it’s close, that motivates people to vote.”

Wednesday marks the final opportunity to vote before the election on Saturday, with the turnout determining whether this year’s pre-polling breaks the previous record. 

According to Elections BC, the electoral district of Courtenay-Comox leads in early participation, with 24 per cent of registered voters having cast their ballots early. Other notable areas include Oak Bay-Gordon Head, and Ladysmith-Oceanside — both around 24 per cent. In contrast, Hastings-Sunrise has the lowest early turnout at just 9.5 per cent.

Advance voting continues until 8 p.m. Wednesday. The final election day is Oct. 19.

—With files from The Canadian Press