Elections B.C. updates number of ballots returned

Elections B.C. said 18 per cent of ballots for the referendum on electoral reform had been cast as of Friday, however, the office has changed how it is counting them for its reporting.

About 597,300 ballot packages have been returned to Elections B.C., but that number doesn’t include ballot packages that have been received by Canada Post but not yet arrived at its office, according to a news release.

Since Oct. 22, British Columbians have been voting by mail-in ballot to either keep the current first-past-the-post electoral system or switch to a form of proportional representation.

The deadline to vote is Nov. 30. Elections B.C.’s latest update marks a significant jump from the 7.4 per cent of ballots it reported had been returned on Wednesday.

But starting Friday, Elections B.C. began reporting the number of ballot packages waiting to be processed, as well as packages it had received that hadn’t yet been processed or that were undergoing processing before screening.

Previously, Elections B.C. had only reported ballots that had “passed initial screening,” according to the release.

Meanwhile, the No B.C. Proportional Representation campaign on Thursday called on Elections B.C. to extend the deadline to return ballots beyond Nov. 30, citing the “low turnout” of 7.4 per cent and the ongoing labour dispute between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

“No” side spokesman Bill Tieleman said that while Elections B.C. has since changed how it counts ballots received, his campaign hasn’t changed its view that the voting period should be extended by a week or two.

“It’s still a pretty low number,” he said.

Tieleman compared the return rate to the harmonized sales tax referendum of 2011, when 54.7 per cent of ballots were cast after the voting period was extended by two weeks, also during a Canada Post strike.

Lesli Boldt, a spokeswoman for Vote for PR B.C., said in an email that her “Yes” side is encouraged by the sharp rise in ballot packages reported, and “think it’s good to know that the numbers are a reflection of how many ballots have actually been received.”

Boldt said her campaign is focused on mobilizing the vote and encouraging voters to order a ballot if they haven’t yet received one so that they can get it in the mail by next Friday and allow ample time for it to get to Elections B.C.

“As for the extension request, we’re supportive of all efforts to ensure as many voters participate in this referendum as possible,” Boldt said.

“We know Elections B.C. has been monitoring the postal dispute closely and trust them to make an appropriate decision.”