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Early voters in Southern Interior contribute to breaking records

61,900 vote-by-mail packages were requested in the Southern Interior
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Elections BC has sent out almost 700,000 mail voting packages as of Oct. 14 with just under 3.5 million registered voters. (Black Press Media File) By Oct. 21, Elections BC had received an estimated 396,900 returned vote-by-mail packages. This represents about 55 per cent of packages issued to date. (Black Press Media File)

Many residents of B.C.’s Southern Interior region have already voted in the 2020 provincial election, leading to a record-breaking number of ballots cast.

Seven days of advanced voting ended Wednesday (Oct. 21), during which time 681,055 people cast their ballot around B.C. In 2017, 614,389 voted in advance voting, and in 2013, just 366,558. While in 2009, just 290,220 participated early on, with fewer ballots being cast in earlier elections.

This year, many in the Interior have already exercised their democratic right to vote.

In the Boundary-Similkameen riding, 10,791 out of 36,593 eligible voters have already cast a ballet. Next door in the Penticton riding, 12,240 of 48,525 people cast their ballot.

The story is similar in northern regions as well. In the Kelowna area, more than 30,000 exercised their right to vote.

In the Kelowna-West riding, 11,013 of 53,008 eligible, have voted. In Kelowna-Mission, 11,354 have voted out of 50,150 who are eligible. In Kelowna-Lake Country, 10,722 of 53,395 eligible, have voted.

To the north in the Vernon-Monashee riding, 9,991 of 52,479 eligible voters cast a ballet. In the Shuswap, 10,998 of 46,886 eligible have voted.

In Columbia River-Revelstoke riding, 6,662 of 26,116 people voted.

In total, 61,900 vote-by-mail packages were requested in the ridings mentioned above.

By Oct. 21, Elections BC had received an estimated 396,900 returned vote-by-mail packages. This represents about 55 per cent of packages issued to date.

READ MORE: Early turnout breaks records as more than a million people vote ahead of B.C. election

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: phil.mclachlan@kelownacapnews.com


 

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Phil McLachlan

About the Author: Phil McLachlan

Phil McLachlan is the editor at the Penticton Western News. He served as the reporter, and eventually editor of The Free Press newspaper in Fernie.
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