Image: CKPG / Pattison Media / Polls for British Columbia's 43rd provincial general election opened at 8 a.m. on Oct. 19. 2024, marking the conclusion of a four-week campaign period.

By Don Mitchell

2024 Election

Polls open for British Columbia’s 43rd Provincial General Election

Oct 19, 2024 | 8:53 AM

VICTORIA – Polls are now open for British Columbia’s 43rd Provincial General Election, as the final voting day has arrived after four weeks of campaigning.

Elections BC said polls in 12 electoral districts experienced operating issues when they opened at 8 a.m. Saturday, including a power outage in Langley-Walnut Grove.

Officials reported that the voting place at Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary was temporarily closed but reopened just over an hour later.

So far, Elections BC is reporting a steady turnout across most ridings despite inclement weather on much of the province’s coast.

Six days of advance polls in B.C.’s election brought out a record number of early voters across the province this past week—about 28 percent of those registered.

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Elections BC spokesperson Andrew Watson says the 1,000,000-plus who cast an early ballot is part of a trend observed over the past two elections.

“The highest turnout province-wide has been on Vancouver Island,” Watson said.

“Over the first five days, those districts had quite a high average, with around 7,000 to 8,000 votes per district, which is about the provincial average.”

Roughly 72,000 voters in the Fraser Valley participated in advance polls across seven ridings in the region.

Advance Voting Results (Fraser Valley) – 2024 Provincial Election / Elections BC

Abbotsford-Mission: 11,563

Abbotsford South: 9,897

Abbotsford West: 9,163

Chilliwack-Cultus Lake: 11,503

Chilliwack North: 10,128

Fraser-Nicola: 8,760

Langley-Abbotsford: 11,051

Fraser Valley Total: 72,065

Provincial Total: 1,001,331

With rain and wind warnings in effect across much of southern B.C. on election day, Elections BC is reminding voters that during a provincial election, residents can vote at any polling station with a voter card and two pieces of ID.

“One of the great things about B.C. provincial elections is you can vote at any voting place in the province,” Watson said.

“If there’s a closer voting place to them that’s more convenient for them, they can absolutely vote at that voting place instead.”

Watson says one piece of ID must include a photo and suggests visiting elections.bc.ca to find the nearest polling station.

Alternatively, voters can use the Elections BC app to find voting locations.

Elections BC is anticipating quick results due to the use of electronic tabulators.

Polls close across the province at 8 p.m.