1st day of advance voting in B.C. sees record turnout

The first day of advance voting in the British Columbia election saw a record turnout, officials say.

Elections B.C. says 171,381 voters cast their ballots at advance polls on Thursday, surpassing a previous record of 126,491 voters in the 2017 election.

Andrew Reeve, the director of communications for B.C. United, says election officials have been making it easier to vote in advance. 

"There has been an effort to make voting more accessible, increasing the number of advance polling stations and advance polling days and more and more Canadians are getting out there early because they don't want to be in the long lines on election day," Reeve said.

He said that with election day falling on Saturday, Oct. 19, some voters with weekend plans may be looking to vote early.

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Stewart Prest, a political science lecturer at the University of British Columbia, says an increasingly close election campaign and a polarized political landscape may also be factors.

"That could be a motivator for those who are strongly affiliated with either the incumbent NDP or who are strongly motivated to see a change in government. They may be more motivated to get to the polls early," Prest said.

Reeve cautioned against reading too much into advance voting totals.

"At the end of the day, I think it's just folks want to get out and vote early and get it done with," he said. "Perhaps it shows folks have decided already. They've already made up their minds. But which way people are voting and which way they're leaning, we'll have to wait until the results come in on the 19th."

Around 4,000 voters in B.C. who asked for mail-in ballots received incorrect voting packages, says Elections B.C.

The affected voting packages should have included a postage-paid return envelope but instead included an international return envelope for voters outside of Canada, which requires postage.

It says return envelopes that do not have postage can be mailed anyway, and Canada Post will deliver it. Voters can also drop off their envelopes at a district electoral office, voting place or participating Service B.C. Centre. 

More than 109,000 voters have requested a mail-in ballot.