National

B.C. smashes advance voting record with a million ballots already cast

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 17 Oct, 2024 11:48 AM

Elections BC says a record number of British Columbians have already cast their ballots in advance voting before Saturday's provincial election.

The elections body says just over a million people have voted, representing more than 28 per cent of all registered electors and putting the province on track for big overall turnout.

Yesterday (Oct. 16) 222,907 voters voted on the last day of advance voting. In total 1,001,331 voters voted during the advance voting period, the most ever in a provincial election in BC. More details here: https://t.co/vZsNAMFSj0 #bcpoli
— Elections BC (@ElectionsBC) October 17, 2024

They include about 223,000 people who voted on the final day of advance voting on Wednesday, the last of six days of advance polls, shattering the one-day record set just a day earlier by more than 40,000 votes.

Some ridings have already seen turnout of more than 35 per cent.

The previous record for advance voting in a B.C. election was set in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when about 670,000 people voted early, representing about 19 per cent of registered voters.

Total turnout in the 2020 election was 54 per cent, down from about 61 per cent in 2017.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Pope Francis meets with Trudeau, warns leaders to approach AI responsibly

Pope Francis met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday at the G7 summit, where the pontiff warned leaders about the dangers of artificial intelligence and counselled them to centre humanity in its development. Francis became the first pope to address G7 leaders, offering an ethical take on an issue that is increasingly on the agenda of international summits, government policy and corporate boards alike.

Pope Francis meets with Trudeau, warns leaders to approach AI responsibly

Federal minister tells B.C. Ottawa continues to back RCMP contract policing

The letter provides short-term certainty for contract policing in B.C., while indicating the federal government wants to reform how the Mounties operate, Premier David Eby said Thursday. He said it describes the federal government's plan to move the RCMP towards a federal police force "like the FBI in the United States."

Federal minister tells B.C. Ottawa continues to back RCMP contract policing

Feds release carbon pricing impact data as cost debate rages

Canada's greenhouse-gas emissions will be 12 per cent lower in 2030 with carbon pricing in place than they would be if it was scrapped, new federal data published Thursday suggest. The data also show that the pricing system for consumers and big industry in place could cause Canada's GDP to take a $25-billion hit at the end of the decade — 0.9 per cent below what it would be without the carbon price.

Feds release carbon pricing impact data as cost debate rages

NDP's Jagmeet Singh says report shows 'a number of MPs' have helped foreign states

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says a recent spy watchdog report shows a "number of MPs" have knowingly provided help to foreign governments — behaviour he calls unethical or even illegal. Singh said Thursday he is "more alarmed today" after reading an unredacted version of a report on foreign interference by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians.

NDP's Jagmeet Singh says report shows 'a number of MPs' have helped foreign states

Uber says new B.C. rules will increase costs, Eby says companies can 'suck it up'

Uber issued a statement Thursday saying it supports some of the new rules coming in September, such as an increased minimum wage and health and safety coverage, but the amount it is being forced to pay workers for using a personal vehicle is "unreasonable."

Uber says new B.C. rules will increase costs, Eby says companies can 'suck it up'

B.C. politicians ask for audit of $3.86 billion North Shore water treatment plant

A group of local politicians from B.C.'s Lower Mainland are asking the provincial auditor general to investigate how the cost of a wastewater treatment plant could balloon to $3.86 billion. The original cost of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant in 2018 was $700 million and it was expected to open in 2020, but the Metro Vancouver regional district fired the contractor over construction delays in 2021.