With just two weeks to go until a key deadline in B.C.'s electoral reform referendum, it appears many Vancouver Islanders are waiting until the last minute to mail in their ballots – or just don't care.
As of Tuesday morning, Elections BC reported that it had only received 785 ballots, or 1.6 per cent of total eligible ballots, from residents in the provincial riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill.
Victoria-Swan Lake isn't faring much better, with only 1.7 per cent of total ballots received.
Residents of Saanich North and the Islands have turned in 1,272 ballots, or 2.6 per cent of total eligible ballots.
BC Green Leader Andrew Weaver's home of Oak Bay-Gordon Head is doing slightly better with 1,193, or 2.9 per cent of ballots turned in.
Elections BC is reporting a higher turn-in rate for communities up-island, but not by much.
A little over 10 per cent of eligible ballots have been received in ridings like Nanaimo (10.3%), Parksville-Qualicum (11.6%) and the North Island (10.5%).
The highest turnout on the island so far has been in Courtenay-Comox, which has mailed in 5,774 ballots – a 13 per cent turn-in rate. That's also the highest number of ballots received in any B.C. riding so far.
B.C. is casting ballots in the binding referendum to determine whether B.C. elections should switch to a form of proportional representation instead of the current first-past-the-post system.
A majority of 50 per cent plus one is needed to make the switch. A complete breakdown of the three alternatives to first-past-the-post are available here.
The deadline for ballots to be mailed in to Elections BC is Nov. 30.
