VICTORIA -- Polls are now open across British Columbia for seven days of advance voting ahead of the Oct. 24 provincial election.
Polling stations are open to voters who wish to cast ballots in person from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Elections BC says not every polling station will be open on every day of the advance voting period.
In-person voters are advised to check the Elections BC polling station map for the locations and hours of the polling places nearest them.
In-person voters are asked to bring along photo identification and their voter registration card to save time at the polls.
Voters who wish to bring their own pencil to mark their ballot are encouraged to do so to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Voters are also encouraged to wear masks when inside polling stations.
Many B.C. voters are expected to skip the trip to the polls altogether this time around as voters opt to cast their ballots by mail during the coronavirus pandemic.
Elections BC said Tuesday nearly 700,000 British Columbians had already requested vote-by-mail packages, compared to 6,517 such requests in the 2017 election.
On Vancouver Island, approximately 160,000 residents had requested vote-by-mail packages, or roughly 27 per cent of all eligible voters on the island.
