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Voting FAQ

I forgot to register! Can I still vote?

Of course! Budget an extra 47 seconds to fill out a voter registration form, and make sure that you bring two pieces of identification that in combination provide your: name, signature, and current address. 

When you get to the polling station, just ask someone where to get a form to register, and they'll show you the way!

 

What's on the ballot for the upcoming provincial election?

This year, you will get two ballots; one to elect the MLA for your electoral district, and one for the referendum on electoral reform. You can use a 'check mark' or and 'x' to mark your ballots. 

Vote for an MLA:

Vote in the referendum:

 

I have to work on May 12, so I won't be able to vote, right?

First of all, by law all employees that are eligible to vote are entitled to have four consecutive hours available to vote on Tuesday May 12th without a deduction in pay. This doesn't mean you will get four hours off work, but it does mean that there must be four hour period of no work during the 8am to 8pm voting hours.

For example, if your shift starts at noon or ends at 4pm, then you already have 4 hours available to vote. If you start work at 8am, and finish at 5pm you are entitled to leave work at 4pm to go vote. You should talk to your employer about this ahead of time to make sure you can schedule things fairly - Advance Voting Days are good option too. Election BC Voting site has more details on this law and the rules.

If you're still not able to make it to the polls on May 12th, you still have options:

Vote NOW: You can go to your district electoral office to vote anytime between April 14th at 4:00pm to May 12th. Make sure to check what hours they are open, and where the closest office is to you. Here's the list of offices.

May 6 - 9th: Advance Voting Days - 8:00am to 8:00pm. Find the Advance Voting places in your electoral district here.

 

What do I need to bring with me to vote?

When you go to vote, you'll need to remember to bring I.D. to prove you are who you say you are, and to prove where you live.

Bring:

  • One piece of Government I.D. (BC Driver's License, BC Identification Card, passport, or Certificate of Indian Status). These all have your photograph, current address, and name on them.

OR

  • Two documents that both have your name on it, and one of them has your current address on it. These could be: bank or credit card statements, pay stubs, residential lease or mortgage statement, or a utility bill.

 
 For more examples of I.D., check out the Election BC Voting site.

 

What happens if I don't have any of this I.D.?

Not a problem - you can still vote, but you will need to find someone to vouch for you.

A person can vouch for you if they are one of the following:

  • a registered voter in the same electoral district as you, and has the necessary identification documents.
  • a spouse, parent, grandparent, or an adult child, grandchild or sibling of yours.
  • a person with the authority to make personal care decisions on your behalf.

Take the person that will vouch for you with you when you go to vote. Both you and the person vouching for you will have to make a solemn declaration of your identification and place of residence.  For more details on how this works, go to the Elections BC Voting site.

 

Where do I vote?

You vote in the neighbourhood or electoral district that you live in, usually at a school or community centre.

The BEST place to find this information is on the Elections BC Know Your Electoral District site. All you have to do is type in your address, and they tell you:

  • where to vote on May 12th (and include a map)
  • where to vote on Advance Voting Days May 6 - 9th
  • a list of the candidates running in your electoral district
  • where your district electoral office is

If you're going to be somewhere else in the province on Election Day, you can vote there too! Just make sure you still have your I.D. with you and tell them that you're Absentee Voting.

 

Who can vote?

You can vote if you:

  • are a Canadian citizen
  • are 18 years or older on the General Voting Day (May 12)
  • are a resident of your electoral district
  • have been living in British Columbia for at least six months immediately before general voting day (out of province students take note! You probably qualify to vote!)
  • are a registered voter or register to vote on General Voting Day (May 12)
  • are not disqualified from voting by any provisions on the Election Act or any other law.

 

 

How can I learn more about the referendum on electoral reform?

There is A LOT of information out there. First of all, if you want to know more about why we're having the referendum, check out the Referendum Information Office website. This is a neutral group, and their site also provides clear basic information on our current system, First Past the Post (FPTP), and the proposed Single Transferable Vote (STV) system.

The BC-STV and No-STV are full of facts and information.

If you want to see a demonstration of how STV works, check out:

TrySTV.ca - a mock vote for the 2009 using the STV ballot, and explanation of how counting works.

Citizen's Assembly Animations - a handful of animations that explain how STV and FPTP work.

 

Even better if you have a Question - email us and we'll get back to you personally if it's not posted on the GYVO site!