Thursday, November 15, 2018
VICTORIA – Elections BC is reminding voters that key deadlines in the 2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform are fast approaching: the deadline to request a voting package is midnight on November 23, and the deadline to return your voting package to Elections BC is 4:30 p.m. on November 30.
As of this morning, November 15, Elections BC had received 7.4% of eligible ballots from around the province.
Ballots are marked with the voter’s electoral area (the identifier is in the top right corner of the ballot). A completed ballot should then be put into a ‘secrecy sleeve’, then inserted into a voter-identified envelope (to be sealed and signed). A postage-paid envelope for mailing the ballot to Elections BC is provided in the kit.
The Elections BC website provides information that explains the questions on the ballot. The first question is a choice between supporting First Past the Post or Proportional Representation. The second question offers you the opportunity to rank your choice for three styles of Proportional Representation.
Eligible voters that haven’t received a voting package can ask for one:
• Online: elections.bc.ca/ovr
• By phone: 1-800-661-8683 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
• In person: At a Service BC Centre or Referendum Service Office (find location: elections.bc.ca/rso )
Elections BC must receive completed voting packages by 4:30 p.m. on November 30, 2018. This means that voters cannot put their voting package in the mail on November 30 – it must be received by Elections BC by that date.
Completed voting packages can also be returned in person at a Service BC Centre or Referendum Service Office.
Voters should return their completed voting package soon to ensure it is received by the deadline, and to give enough time to make corrections if necessary.
Elections BC will contact voters if their returned package is missing required information.
If the referendum passes, British Columbians will have the chance to vote again in a confirmation referendum after two full election cycles.