Premier John Horgan has announced a provincial general election on October 24, 2020.
“I have just met with the Lieutenant Governor and she has agreed with my request to hold an election on October 24,” John Horgan said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything — the people of British Columbia deserve a say in the direction of our recovery and the future of our province.”
Horgan has managed to hold a minority government for three years, and the NDP government is doing well in the polls; he is hoping that by calling the election now, he will be able to spin the party’s popularity into a majority government.
The election comes nearly a year early; the next scheduled election was to be October 16, 2021. The move violates a written power-sharing agreement with the BC Greens, in which he promised to wait to call the next election next year.
The Greens are not happy with the move. “I met with (Horgan) on Friday and told him he had a stable government,” Green party leader Sonia Furstenau says. “This election is completely unnecessary. The NDP has chosen the pursuit of power over the health and safety of British Columbians.”
The move comes as daily case numbers of Covid is on the rise, with more than 18 schools reporting exposure cases since re-opening.
Currently, the government has 41 seats, just shy of the 44 it needs for a majority.
“We’ve made a lot of progress for people over the last three years. We invested in healthcare and schools. We build transit, housing and childcare centres. We eliminated the MSP—the largest middle-class tax cut in BC history—and during this pandemic, we kept people safe while staying focused on what matters,” Horgan said.
Because of the ongoing pandemic—indeed, the province is still under a provincial state of emergency—Horgan promises there will be safety measures in place, including more options to vote in advance or by mail-in ballot.
Local Liberal MLA says he’s shocked that the NDP has gone against the fixed date legislation. “I do not think that this is the time for an election and putting the government and British Columbia on hold during an incredible time of uncertainty,” he posted on his Facebook page. “This is just the NDP trying to take advantage of a bad situation. He also is going against his agreement in the house to work together. They also hope people are not paying attention. So much for democracy.”
Bernier says while the call is unfortunate, the BC Liberals are ready to stand up to the NDP. “The NDP are hoping the right splits again like last election where the BC Conservatives took enough votes in key ridings to allow the NDP to win instead. I need to remind people that the BC Liberals are a coalition party of Conservatives, Socreds and Liberals who all got together to work in the same team to beat the NDP. We need to keep the center right together now more than ever so hopefully people remember that!”
Bernier has been the MLA for the riding since 2013, and in 2017 he was elected with 75.63 percent of the vote, the highest percentage ever for a Liberal in BC.
He is the only candidate confirmed in the South Peace so far. In the North Peace, Liberal incumbent Dan Davis is facing off against Conservative Trevor Bolin. Potential Candidates have until October 2 to declare.
Voting in the time of Covid
Elections BC “will be implementing a number of measures to help voters cast their ballot safely in person,” says their website, and they have developed protocols for voting with the Office of the Provincial Health Officer.
- Safe voting practices for voting places will include:
- Physical distancing
- Capacity limits
- Election officials wearing personal protective equipment (such as masks and face-visors)
- Protective barriers
- Hand sanitizing stations
- Frequent cleaning of voting stations and frequently touched surfaces
“We encourage voters to wear a mask when they vote to help protect other,” says the website. “Voters will not be asked to remove their mask to vote. Voters will be asked to sanitize their hands before and after voting.”
There will also be some changes to voting procedures. For example, voters will make a verbal declaration of their eligibility to vote instead of signing a voting book. Voters also can bring their own pen or pencil to mark their ballot.
Voting in person will be available during the advance voting period from Thursday, October 15 to Wednesday, October 21, and on Election Day, Saturday, October 24.
Advance voting places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. There will be seven days of advance voting, up from six in 2017. “The additional advance voting day has been added to give voters more options and help reduce numbers in voting places,” says Elections BC. The advance voting period includes two weekend days, Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18.
The actual election day will be Saturday, October 24, and the polls will be open from 8 am to 8 pm. “Voting places and the dates they are open are being confirmed and will be available on Elections BC’s website as soon as possible,” says the website. “They will also be listed on Where to Vote cards sent to every registered voter in the province before the start of the advance voting period.”
Currently, Tumbler’s typical polling station—room 5 of the Community Centre—is closed. Will it be open by the election? It’s too early to say, says Director of Protective Services Dustin Curry. “We’re having those discussions now, but there will be a suitable place for the public to vote with physical distancing measures in place.”
Voters should stay home if they are feeling sick or self-isolating and request a vote-by-mail package instead, says the Elections BC Website. “Voters don’t need a special reason to vote by mail. It’s an option for all eligible voters, and a good option for voters who are not comfortable voting in person because of the pandemic.
“To vote by mail, voters need to request a voting package. Voting packages can be requested now on the Elections BC website at elections.bc.ca/ovr or by phone at 1-800-661-8683. The vote-by-mail package will be mailed to the voter with instructions on how to complete it and return it to Elections BC.”
