B.C.’s election day falls on day of major storm; voters have options if unable to get to their polling station

An atmospheric river is drenching B.C.’s South Coast on provincial election day, and political leaders and experts are urging British Columbians to play it safe, budget extra time, and stay alert as a major storm accompanies voting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Multiple voting places — including in Langley, Kamloops, Mayne, Denman, and Hornby Islands — saw closures Saturday morning due to power outages. Elections BC says these have since reopened.

“Those outages have been resolved, and those locations are serving voters again, and we’ve been posting updates on voting place status on our website and social media channels,” Elections BC Communications Director Andrew Watson told 1130 NewsRadio.

An additional polling station — in Dease Lake in Northern B.C. — is closed due to staffing issues.

Voters are advised to check Elections BC’s website for updates to voting places.

Watson says he is aware of at least one situation where a voter was unable to get to their polling station due to a downed tree as a result of the storm.

“That was preventing them from leaving their area, and we [said the voter should call] us at Elections BC to discuss their voting options in terms of other locations near them,” he said.

As well, Watson says the province has embraced a “vote anywhere model,” meaning if it is not safe or comfortable to reach their polling station, they can vote at any of B.C.’s 1,200 polling stations. For locations, they can go to Election BC’s website or call them at 1-800-661-8683.

You only need to bring a valid piece of identification, and proof of your residential address, including (but not limited to):

• Bank/credit card or statement
• Confirmation of Residence
• Hospital bracelet/document
• Insurance statement
• Membership card
• Mortgage statement
• Personal cheque (printed by bank)
• Prescription medication containers
• Provincial Where to Vote card
• Public transportation pass
• Residential lease
• Statutory declaration
• Utility bill

Other accepted documents and verification methods are listed on the Elections BC website.

Assisted telephone voting available in extreme circumstances

Another alternative for extreme circumstances — such as if someone is blocked in their home, unable to leave due to the weather — is the option of assisted telephone voting, Watson says.

“It is a voting option that is typically limited for voters who have sight loss or a health condition that prevents them from voting by other means. However, in emergency or extraordinary circumstances, it can be an option for voters, and that may be an option for voters in Dease Lake if they’re unable to attend another voting opportunity today,” he said.

“So that’s why we’re encouraging them to call us to discuss that option for them. It’s a good accessibility feature of our system.”

‘Uncharted territory’

Mario Canseco, the president of Research Co., says the province is in “uncharted territory,” given that elections historically used to take place in May.

“We’ve seen the effect that it can have on municipal elections. We usually vote [municipally] in November, when it’s rainy and cold. And if there’s something good on television or you want to do something different, you end up completely distracted from it. In municipal elections, turnout tends to be significantly lower than in B.C. elections or federal elections,” said Canseco, adding that he thinks that may have to do with the weather.

Canseco says it’s tough to tell, but weather could affect which voter demographics turn up.

“Over 55 [year-olds] tend to vote more than their younger counterparts. They’re more likely to say, ‘I don’t care if it’s raining and I’m going to go out there and cast my ballot.’ Whereas young voters might be distracted, might not want to do this, might believe that it’s not something that they want to expose themselves,” he explained.

“If it’s raining as hard as it seems, that it’s going to be raining in the Lower Mainland, and that could play a role in the final numbers, for sure.”

Canseco says the closest comparison he can remember is the Federal Election of 2006, when the campaign period began in the depths of winter for most parts of the country and voting took place in January. He says voting in extreme cold didn’t have as strong an effect on votership as some expected in 2006, but adds that a rainstorm is different than cold weather.

—With files from David Nadalini, Raynaldo Suarez, and Emma Crawford