The first three days of advance voting in the British Columbia election have seen a slight decrease in the number of ballots cast compared to the previous election. According to Elections BC, approximately 440,000 votes were recorded from Friday to Sunday, showing an 8% drop from the nearly 480,000 votes cast during the same period in the last election, which set a record high for advance voter turnout.
Early voting opportunities are still available at various locations throughout the province today and tomorrow until 8 p.m., leading up to the final voting day scheduled for Saturday.
In the 2024 election, over one million advance ballots were submitted, marking a significant 49% increase from the previous election. A recent report by the chief electoral officer highlights the growing popularity of advance voting over the past two decades, with nearly half of all votes in 2024 being cast in advance compared to just 20% in 2013.
The current percentage of advance ballots cast, which accounts for about 12% of all registered voters, indicates a continued trend of early participation in the electoral process.
Published by The Canadian Press on Oct. 20, 2026.
