Elections BC has released riding numbers of people who requested mail-in packages and who voted ahead of the provincial election.
As of 11:59 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23, Elections BC received an estimated 497,900 returned vote-by-mail packages. This represents approximately 69 per cent of packages issued to date. A total of 724,279 registered voters have been issued a vote-by-mail package.
In Vernon-Monashee, 8,747 packages were mailed out with the registered number of voters in the riding being 52,479, so 17 per cent opted for mail packages.
In the Shuswap riding, where there are 46,886 registered voters, 6,399 or 14 per cent of voters, were issued mail packages.
The estimated number of returned packages does not include:
• packages received by Canada Post that are currently in-transit to Elections BC for return processing;
• packages dropped off at a district electoral office or voting place.
As voters had until Saturday, Oct. 24, to return their package and do not need to return their package to their electoral district of residence, accurate estimates of package returns by electoral district are unavailable at this stage.
After the return deadline has passed on Oct. 24, the estimated number of packages returned will differ from the number of ballots that will be considered during the final count of absentee ballots. This is because all vote-by-mail packages are screened for compliance with the Election Act before being accepted for counting. Information on the number of mail-in votes to be considered at final count will be provided at a later date.
Elections BC also released advance polling results.
In Vernon-Monashee, 9,991 cast their ballot in advance polling or 19 per cent of registered voters.
In the Shuswap, 10,998 or 23 per cent went to the early polls.
The busiest day for advance polling in the Shuswap was the first day, Thursday, Oct. 15, where 2,503 people voted. In Vernon-Monashee, the last day of advance polling, Wednesday, Oct. 21, was the busiest with 1,846 people marking a ballot.
READ MORE: BC VOTES 2020: Polls close in Vernon
READ MORE: Vernon voters speed through the polling stations on Election Day
@caitleerach
Caitlin.clow@vernonmorningstar.com
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