By Canadian Press

Elections BC estimates higher voter turnout, still a historic low for B.C.

Nov 20, 2020 | 12:26 PM

VICTORIA — Elections BC has revised its estimated voter turnout for the provincial election in October, but the increased figure is still a historic low for the province.

While final figures won’t be known until post-election processing has been completed, Elections BC says more than 1.9 million voters cast their ballots.

The agency has increased its estimated turnout rate from 52.4 per cent to 54.5 per cent.

Despite that, it would still be a new low: statistics from Elections BC going back to 1928 show the lowest voter turnout was 55.14 per cent during the 2009 election.

Elections BC says 724,279 voters requested vote-by-mail packages and more people cast their ballots in advanced polls and by mail than those who voted on election day, driven largely by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Preliminary data released by Elections BC shows voting on election day accounted for 28.8 per cent of the vote, compared to nearly two-thirds in 2017.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2020.

The Canadian Press