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Made up your mind? You can vote now for the provincial election

Apr 20, 2017 | 5:13 PM

NANAIMO — If you’re already done with the campaigning and have made up your mind how to vote in the provincial election, there’s no need to wait.

Elections BC is reminding people they can vote anytime between now and May 9 at district electoral offices. There’s one in every riding.

Communications manager Andrew Watson said they are always looking for ways to make voting more convenient.

“We often hear from voters that chose not to participate in the last election that they were too busy to cast a ballot,” Watson said.

People can vote at any electoral office and it doesn’t have to be in the riding where they live.

“You need to bring ID and if you’re not registered, you can register when you vote,” Watson said. “Another option is voting by mail, you can request a package over the phone or through our website.”

Watson said there will also be six days of advance voting starting April 29. There were only four days of advance voting for the 2013 provincial election.

Patrick Maguire, district electoral officer for the Nanaimo riding, told NanaimoNewsNOW they’ve seen over 100 voters already since they opened on April 11. Representatives at offices in Nanaimo-North Cowichan and Parksville-Qualicum also reported steady traffic.

Meanwhile, the nomination period for candidates closed earlier this week. Watson said there are 371 candidates representing 18 parties, which is comparable to 2013 numbers.

According to Elections BC data, The Vancouver Island Party was only able to muster four candidates, less than the six running for the Communist Party of BC, for example. The VI Party had previously stated a goal of running a candidate in all island ridings. The BC Green Party will run in 83 of the province’s 87 ridings, while the Conservative Party has just 10 representatives.

There are 30 Libertarian candidates province-wide, including one in Nanaimo.

Voter turnout in B.C. in 2013 was 55 per cent, five per cent higher than 2009.

For any questions and details, visit the Elections BC website.

 

dominic.abassi@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @domabassi