Pandemic precautions in place as advance polls open
Casting a ballot means sanitizing hands, wearing a mask and physical distancing
Advance polls have opened across B.C., and for those who have not yet cast a ballot in the provincial election, Elections B.C. says voting in person is a safe option.
British Columbians can visit polling stations to vote early until Oct. 21, and then again on Election Day, Oct. 24. Since the election is taking place in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Elections B.C. has worked with the provincial health officer and WorkSafeBC to develop safety plans.
“I think the process will generally be familiar, but with that pandemic layer over top of it,” said Elections B.C. spokesman Andrew Watson.
Casting a ballot at a Surrey voting location, in the gymnasium of a church, on Thursday morning took less than five minutes and required no physical contact.
Watson said Elections B.C. has tried to choose voting places that are larger and support physical distancing and a one-way flow of foot traffic. Schools are also being used for voting, only on weekends.
Although there were just a handful of people voting, there were green X's on the ground outside the church entrance and just inside to show people where to stand if they needed to line up. Near the door, an information officer — wearing a mask and face shield — made sure voters had identification and directed them to sanitize their hands and take a mask if they needed one before seeing a voting officer. Voters are encouraged to wear masks, but they are not required.
Voting officers in Surrey, clad in masks and sitting behind plastic screens, asked to see voting cards and identification, which were held up to the clear barrier, and then had voters make a verbal declaration that they were eligible to vote instead of signing a book.
Voters do not need to remove their masks when presenting identification. Watson said there are no security concerns on this issue because under the Election Act, people are not required to show photo ID to vote — instead, they can provide two pieces of ID that show their name, one of which must include their address.
The officers at the church handed voters ballots, which they marked behind a cardboard privacy barrier next to the voting station. People can use the pencils provided or bring their own pen or pencil.
When finished, voters held up the folded ballot to the voting officer to show it was the same ballot they were given, ripped off the
attached stub, placed the ballot in a box and the stub in a paper bag before leaving through the designated exit.
“We encourage voters to look at their options and take advantage of the in-person opportunities, if they choose,” said Watson. “The safety measures we've put in place, we have a lot of confidence in them.”
For those not comfortable voting in person, either in advance or on election day, there is still the option to vote by mail — although time is running out.
Voters can request a package online or by calling Elections B.C. As of Wednesday night, Elections B.C. had received 710,000 requests for vote-by-mail packages.
It is recommended that voters request a package by Oct. 17. After that date, people will be able to request a vote-by-mail package only from a district electoral office.
To be counted, ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Oct. 24. They can be mailed or dropped off at any voting place, district electoral office or participating Service B.C. office. As of Wednesday night, 148,200 vote-by-mail packages had been returned, or 21 per cent of those issued.