Writ issued for 2022 Vancouver-Quilchena by-election

A provincial by-election has been called for Saturday, April 30 in the Vancouver-Quilchena (VNQ) electoral district, Elections BC announced on Saturday.

The seat became vacant when MLA Andrew Wilkinson resigned on February 17, 2022.

This will be the first provincial by-election in B.C. since changes to the Election Act came into force in March of 2022. The changes include using electronic tabulators to count paper ballots and electronic voting books to look up voters and cross them off the voters list. The new technology will make the voting process easier for voters, and allow Elections BC to report results faster on election night.

“We’re excited about using new technology to help British Columbians vote,” says Anton Boegman, B.C.’s Chief Electoral Officer. “These changes will make our electoral process more accessible and efficient, and help us provide better service to voters.”

Individuals are eligible to vote in the by-election if they are:

Candidate nominations close at 1 p.m. on April 9. The final list of candidates will be posted on Elections BC’s website after nominations close.

Eligible voters can register or update their voter information online or by phone until midnight on April 20. Voter registration is available online at elections.bc.ca/ovr, or by phone at 1-800-661-8683, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After April 20 eligible voters can still register or update their information when they vote, but doing so now will help make the voting process faster.

There are many accessible options to vote in this by-election.

Voters can vote at the Vancouver-Quilchena district electoral office during office hours from now until 4 p.m. on April 30. The office is located at 200-1985 Broadway West, Vancouver, and is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Advance voting will be available from Friday, April 22 to Wednesday, April 27. All advance voting places will be wheelchair accessible and open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Before advance voting starts Elections BC will send a Where to Vote card to every registered voter in Vancouver-Quilchena, showing their voting places for advance voting and Election Day.

Voters can also vote by mail. Voting packages can be requested on Elections BC’s website or by calling 1-800-661-8683. Completed vote by mail packages can be dropped off at the district electoral office, or returned by mail. All vote by mail packages must be received by Elections BC before voting closes at 8 p.m. on April 30.

The final opportunity to vote is on Election Day, Saturday April 30, and voting places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Preliminary results will be announced shortly after voting closes.

Voters with disabilities are encouraged to contact Elections BC for information about accessible voting opportunities.

Pandemic protocols in line with current public health requirements will be in effect at all voting places and at the district electoral office to help voters vote safely. Voters should follow the instructions from election officials when they go to vote. If they feel sick or are self-isolating, they should stay home and contact Elections BC to discuss their voting options.

Voters must meet legislated ID requirements to receive a ballot. Acceptable ID is listed at elections.bc.ca/id.

For more information, visit elections.bc.ca, follow Elections BC on social media, or call 1-800-661-8683.

Link: Vancouver-Quilchena electoral district map: https://elections.bc.ca/docs/map/redis17/ED/VNQ_ED.pdf

 

BACKGROUNDER

ABOUT BY-ELECTIONS

  • Elections BC administers provincial by-elections under the Election Act.
  • Under the Constitution Act, a by-election must be called within six months of a seat becoming vacant in the Legislative Assembly, unless the seat is vacant due to the recall of the MLA, in which case a by-election must be called within 90 days.
  • 199 by-elections have been administered in B.C.; this is the first by-election administered under the current Election Act.
  • The first by-election occurred on June 22, 1872 in the Cariboo electoral district following the resignation of MLA Cornelius Booth; three previous by-elections were called in Esquimalt, New Westminster and Cariboo, but no votes were held as the seats were filled by acclamation.
  • The last provincial by-election in B.C. was on January 30, 2019 in the Nanaimo electoral district. Voter turnout was 52.59% of registered voters.
  • A by-election is an election in a single electoral district, although concurrent by-elections may be held.

VANCOUVER-QUILCHENA ELECTORAL DISTRICT

  • The Chief Electoral Officer received the warrant for the Vancouver-Quilchena by-election on February 18, 2022.
  • The Writ of Election was issued on the morning of April 2, 2022. Election Day will be April 30, 2022.
  • Candidate nominations for the Vancouver-Quilchena by-election close at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, 2022.
  • There were 38,069 registered voters in the Vancouver-Quilchena electoral district as of March 31, 2022.
  • Voter turnout in Vancouver-Quilchena for the 2020 Provincial General Election was 56.52% of registered voters.

VOTING MODERNIZATION

  • The 2022 Vancouver-Quilchena By-election will be the first provincial by-election conducted since the voting modernization provisions of the Election Amendment Act, 2019 came into force.
  • The Legislative Assembly unanimously passed the Election Amendment Act, 2019 following recommendations from the Chief Electoral Officer.
  • The Act implements the most significant changes in over 25 years to how provincial elections are administered in B.C. The changes include using electronic tabulators to count paper ballots marked by voters and laptops to look up voters and cross them off the voters list in near real-time. These changes will make voting faster and easier for voters.
  • Electronic tabulators are a proven, secure technology and have been used effectively in other provincial elections in Canada and in municipal elections in B.C. All tabulators will go through rigorous testing before being used, and paper ballots will be retained for manual recounts if necessary.
  • The changes do not include online voting or using electronic voting machines.
  • Other key benefits include:

o   A first-come, first-served model to reduce line ups at voting places

o   Frequently updated electronic participation data for parties and candidates to support get-out-the-vote efforts

o   Faster results reporting

o   Almost all ballots will be counted on election night (including most absentee and mail-in ballots)

  • Elections BC will be conducting exit surveys with voters on their experience voting under the new model.

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