Advance Voting in B.C. Provincial Election Drops 11% From 2024 as Voters Prepare for Election Day
Liam O'Connell
10/23/20264 min read
Advance voting participation in British Columbia's provincial election has declined compared with the previous election, according to new figures released by Elections BC, marking a reversal from the record turnout recorded in 2024.
The provincial elections agency reported that 891,348 voters cast ballots during six days of advance voting, which ran from October 16 to October 21.
That represents an approximately 11 per cent decline from the previous provincial election, when just over one million British Columbians voted in advance.
The figures come as the province prepares for general voting day on Saturday, October 24, following a snap election called by NDP Leader David Eby in September.
The campaign has unfolded under unusual circumstances, overlapping with municipal elections held across British Columbia on October 17.
Local and provincial candidates have reported confusion among some voters about the separate election dates, voting locations and offices being contested.
Advance Voting Falls After Record-Breaking 2024 Election
According to Elections BC's preliminary figures, approximately 23.8 per cent of the province's registered electorate participated during the six-day advance voting period.
The agency listed more than 3.7 million registered voters as of October 14.
In comparison, the 2024 provincial election recorded slightly more than one million advance ballots, including those cast outside voters' home electoral districts.
That election established a new provincial record for advance voting participation, with approximately 49 per cent more ballots cast in advance than during the 2020 election.
The increase reflected a broader trend toward early voting, which has grown substantially in popularity across British Columbia over the past two decades.
According to Elections BC's final 2024 election report, approximately 47.5 per cent of all ballots cast in that election were submitted through advance voting.
That figure represented the share of participating voters who cast their ballots early, rather than the proportion of the entire registered electorate.
Measured against registered voters, advance participation in 2024 was approximately 27.8 per cent, compared with the preliminary 23.8 per cent recorded this year.
The decline is notable because advance voting has become an increasingly important component of provincial elections, allowing residents to vote before general election day and reducing their reliance on a single voting opportunity.
Overlapping Elections Create Unusual Circumstances
One of the defining features of this year's provincial campaign has been its overlap with British Columbia's regularly scheduled municipal elections.
The provincial election was called on September 22, while local government campaigns were already underway.
Municipal elections were held on Saturday, October 17, just one week before the provincial vote and during the province's six-day advance voting period.
As a result, British Columbians encountered simultaneous campaigns for different levels of government.
Municipal voters were selecting mayors, councillors, school trustees and other local representatives, while provincial candidates were campaigning for seats in the Legislative Assembly.
The overlapping schedules created additional challenges for candidates and election administrators attempting to communicate voting information to residents.
Some candidates reported encountering voters who were uncertain about which election was taking place on which date.
The situation was particularly unusual on October 17, when municipal election day coincided with the second day of advance voting for the provincial election.
Eligible voters could participate in both elections that day, although the voting locations and administrative processes were separate.
The overlap also meant that residents were receiving campaign messages from municipal and provincial candidates simultaneously, potentially complicating efforts to distinguish between local and provincial political issues.
Municipal Voting Patterns Differ From Provincial Trend
Despite the provincewide decline in advance voting for the provincial election, participation patterns in the recently completed municipal contests presented a different picture.
Several British Columbia municipalities reported stronger voter turnout than in their previous local elections, while some communities recorded particularly high participation during advance voting.
The contrast illustrates how voter participation can vary considerably between elections taking place only days apart.
Differences in local issues, candidates, campaign activity and voter interest may all contribute to variation in participation.
Even within the provincial election, the decline in advance voting was not uniform across every electoral district.
For example, Kamloops Centre recorded 12,523 advance voters this year, compared with 11,803 in 2024.
Kamloops-North Thompson also experienced an increase, with 12,461 advance ballots cast compared with 10,563 during the previous provincial election.
Other ridings experienced declines, reflecting regional variations within the overall provincial figures.
These differences demonstrate that the provincewide total does not necessarily reflect voting patterns in individual communities.
Lower Advance Voting Does Not Establish Final Turnout
Although fewer residents participated in advance voting this year, the figures do not establish whether overall voter turnout will increase or decrease once the election is complete.
British Columbians can participate through several voting opportunities, including general election day, voting at district electoral offices and voting by mail.
Some residents who did not use advance voting may still intend to cast their ballots on October 24.
Participation through those other voting methods will determine the final turnout figures.
The 2024 provincial election recorded approximately 2.11 million ballots overall, representing 58.45 per cent of registered voters.
Nearly half of those votes were cast during advance voting, highlighting how significantly voting habits have changed compared with earlier elections.
However, advance participation alone cannot establish the political preferences of voters or indicate how seats will be distributed among the parties.
Those results will depend on the ballots cast in each of British Columbia's 93 electoral districts.
Elections BC has also cautioned that advance voting figures released during the election period are preliminary and may be revised as additional information becomes available.
Attention Turns to Saturday's Provincial Vote
With advance voting now complete, attention shifts to the province's general election day on Saturday, October 24.
Voting locations are scheduled to operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time, giving eligible residents another opportunity to participate.
The election will determine the makeup of British Columbia's next Legislative Assembly following a campaign conducted alongside municipal contests.
The unusual scheduling has drawn attention to voter communication and the challenges of administering separate elections within a short period.
For Elections BC, the immediate focus is completing the voting process and recording participation across the province.
The final turnout will provide a clearer picture of whether the decline in advance voting represents a broader reduction in electoral participation or simply a shift toward other voting opportunities.
Until those results are available, the figures show that hundreds of thousands of British Columbians have already made their choices, while the remainder of the electorate still has an opportunity to cast a ballot on election day.
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