With the writ issued on Saturday, Sept. 21, to signal the start of the provincial election, Elections BC is now recruiting adults and teens to help administer the vote.
Adults and youth ages 15 to 19 are sought to run the advance polls next month, as well as on election day: Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.
But a word of warning — the days are long, up to 14 hours, and beginning before 7 a.m.
Here are the jobs for adults available in the Tri-Cities’ five constituencies:
- ballot issuing officer
- $325 per day
- information officer
- $310 a day
- tabulator officer
- $310 a day
- voting equipment officer
- $380 a day
- supervisory voting officer
- $440 a day
Successful candidates will also be paid for classroom and online training.
For the Youth at the Booth positions, these jobs are available for teens:
- ballot issuing officer
- $325 per day
- information officer
- $310 a day
- tabulator officer
- $310 a day
To apply, you can visit the Elections BC website.
Here are some other tips heading into the October election:
Who can vote?
To make your mark on a ballot, you must be:
- a Canadian citizen
- 18 or older
- a BC resident for the past six months
- not disqualified from voting
What is my electoral district?
There are five electoral districts in the Tri-Cities:
- Coquitlam–Burke Mountain
- Coquitlam–Maillardville
- New Westminster–Coquitlam
- Port Coquitlam
- Port Moody–Burquitlam
If you are unsure what rejigged constituency you live in, type your address into the Elections BC website.
When can I vote?
Early voting for B.C.’s 43rd provincial general election is from Oct. 10 to 13, and Oct. 15 and 16, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There is no voting on Thanksgiving, Oct. 14.
You can also cast your ballot — at any voting place — on election day: Saturday, Oct. 19.
By law, voters are allowed to take four consecutive hours free from work to vote during advance voting or on Oct. 19.
Here are the Tri-City advance voting polling centres:
- Coquitlam–Burke Mountain
- Douglas College (Coquitlam campus)
- Evergreen Cultural Centre
- Victoria Community Hall
- Coquitlam–Maillardville
- Coquitlam Public Library (Poirier branch)
- Maillardville Community Centre
- New Westminster–Coquitlam
- Alderson Elementary School
- Fraser River Middle School
- Riverbend Housing Co-op
- Sapperton Pensioners Hall
- Skwo:wech Elementary School
- Port Coquitlam
- PoCo Inn and Suites
- Riverside Community Church
- Royal Canadian Legion (branch 133)
- Port Moody–Burquitlam
- Coquitlam Presbyterian Church
- Old Orchard Hall
ID needed to vote
Voters are required to prove their identity and residential address.
Typically, this is done using one of these pieces:
- a BC driver’s licence
- a BC Identification Card (BCID)
- a BC Services Card (with photo)
- another card issued by the Government of B.C. or Canada that shows your name, photo and address
- a certificate of Indian Status
If you don’t have these forms, you can also show any two pieces of ID or documents that show your name. At least one piece must have a current address.
Electronic documents (e.g., eBills) and electronic scans of a paper document are allowed.
Vote by mail
You can request a vote-by-mail package until Sunday, Oct. 13.
It can be mailed to you or you can pick it up at a district electoral office.
The completed package must be with Elections BC by 8 p.m. on Oct. 19 to count.
To order a vote-by-mail package online, you can visit Elections BC.
New voting process
Rather than paper lists this year, Elections BC will use networked laptops to look up voters before they cast a ballot.
The aim is to shorten line-ups and make the voting process more efficient.
Electronic tabulators will be used to count paper ballots.
As a result of the new technology, about 98 per cent of all ballots — including absentee and mail-in ballots — will be counted on election night, Oct. 19.
For more details about the election, you can call 1-800-661-8683.
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