Elections BC is encouraging residents to make sure their voter registration is up to date before the Oct. 19 provincial election.
They can do this by at elections.bc.ca/register or calling 1-800-661-8683.
“Making sure your voter registration information is up to date is one of the best ways to get ready for the provincial election,” stated chief electoral officer Anton Boegman. “Voting will be faster and easier if your information is current, and you’ll get a Where to Vote card from Elections BC after the election is called.”
Starting the week beginning Monday, Aug. 19, Elections BC will be mailing out voter registration notices, which will list the voters registered at the recipient address and ask residents of that address to register or update their information as necessary.
The notices will also have information about the new electoral districts in the province. There will be 93 electoral districts this year, up from 87 in the last provincial election in 2020.
Voters can visit elections.bc.ca/mydistrict to view a map of their new electoral district.
Elections BC will also be holding registration drives across the province in September. A list of registration drive locations is available on the Elections BC website.
The provincial election is scheduled to be called on Sept. 21. Advance voting is scheduled for Oct. 10 to 13, and Oct. 15 and 16. The final voting day is Saturday, Oct. 19.
Election security
Elections BC has put a greater focus on election security, states a press release.
“The security environment around elections has changed in recent years,” stated Boegman. “While B.C. elections remain safe and secure, we need to be aware of increased risks to the electoral process and work with partners to mitigate them. These risks include cybersecurity and physical security risks, disinformation about the electoral process and the potential for foreign interference.”
The province has established an Election Integrity Working Group, chaired by Elections BC, which will include representatives from provincial and federal agencies with responsibilities for different aspects of election integrity.
The group will bring expertise in cybersecurity, law enforcement and intelligence services together with that of election, privacy and influence regulation.
Representatives of Elections BC, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for British Columbia, the BC Public Service, the Office of the Deputy Minister to the Premier, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, (part of Communications Security Establishment Canada), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP will be involved.
The group will meet on an ongoing basis leading up to and during the election
Voters can learn more about the Election Integrity Working Group at elections.bc.ca/integrity.
