THE “Initiative to change voting opportunities in provincial elections” has failed and will not proceed further in the initiative petition process, Elections BC announced on Monday.

The petition was submitted to Elections BC on November 8. Under the Recall and Initiative Act, a petition must gather signatures from at least 10% of the registered voters in each of the province’s 87 electoral districts in order to be successful.

According to the initiative petition summary by Elections BC: “Currently in a provincial election there are many opportunities to vote before election day, including advance voting and voting by mail. This initiative proposes removing almost all advance voting options and the option to vote by mail. The proposed changes would require almost all voters to vote at their assigned voting place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Pacific time) on election day. The draft Bill preserves some absentee voting opportunities, including absentee voting by mail for members of the armed forces and others designated by the Chief Electoral Officer.’

The proponent was Robert Harvey Bray of Campbell River.

Elections BC said that it was clear upon submission that the petition did not receive the required number of signatures in each electoral district. As the petition has failed, Elections BC will not proceed to verification and will not be counting or validating any of the signatures submitted.

Bray must file a financing report with the Chief Electoral Officer by December 6, according to Elections BC.

For more information about the initiative petition process, see Elections BC’s website at elections.bc.ca/initiative.