First by-elections in B.C. conducted under the modernized Election Act
THE report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 2022 Vancouver-Quilchena and Surrey South by-elections is now available at the link:
The report describes Elections BC’s administration of the by-elections. The Vancouver-Quilchena by-election was held on April 30 and the Surrey South by-election was held on September 10.
These were the first by-elections in B.C. conducted under the modernized Election Act. For the first time in a provincial by-election, electronic tabulators were used to count paper ballots and laptops were used to cross voters off the voters list in close to real-time.
These changes helped provide better service to voters, supported parties in their get-out-the-vote efforts, and allowed for faster results reporting on election night.
Voter turnout in Vancouver-Quilchena was 27.6%, and the cost to administer the by-election was $766,293 (or $19.96 per registered voter).
Voter turnout in Surrey South was 19.8%, and the cost to administer the by-election was $748,008 (or $13.76 per registered voter).
The report also includes summaries of the Orders of the Chief Electoral Officer issued for the by-elections, and the final Statement of Votes for both events.