Preliminary records from Elections BC shows that not many voters cast their ballots in this year’s provincial elections.
This estimated voter turnout was calculated by Elections BC based on the number of voters who voted during advance voting, those who voted on Election Day, an estimate of the number of certification envelopes containing absentee ballots, and an estimate of the number of completed vote-by-mail packages containing mail-in ballots.
The last two are yet to be counted, and Elections BC estimates that there are 85,000 absentee ballots to be counted.
By October 24, the authority had received approximately 525,000 mail-in ballots in the mail. However they say this number does not include mail-in ballots returned by voters in person to voting places or district electoral offices before the deadline of 8 p.m. on October 24.
Once those ballots are counted, the estimated voter turnout is expected to increase.
As it currently stands, the 52.4 per cent voter turnout is the lowest ever recorded in B.C., according to records that go back to 1928.
Over 61 per cent of registered voters cast their ballots in the last provincial elections that took place in 2017.
Elections B.C. is expected to release the final results after all mail-in ballots are counted. These figures will not be available until at least November 16.
