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Introduction
British Columbia’s 41st Provincial General Election was held on May 9, 2017. Eighty-seven Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) were elected: 43 represented the BC Liberal Party, 41 the BC NDP, and three the Green Party of BC.
Voter turnout was 57.7% of estimated eligible voters and 61.2% of registered voters.
Elections BC conducted an enumeration before the election. Information about the 2017 Enumeration is included in this report.
The 2017 Provincial General Election was the closest in B.C.’s history. At the end of final count only 0.08% of the total valid votes province-wide separated the top two parties.
Calendar of events
Although the four weeks of the campaign period have the highest visibility, the months and years leading up to a provincial general election are an important period of planning and preparation for Elections BC. Equipment and materials are acquired, staff hired and trained, and logistics and infrastructure streamlined to successfully deliver an inclusive electoral event.
Part of the lead-up to a provincial general election is a provincial enumeration. Between February 14 and April 10, 2017, Elections BC updated the voters list to get British Columbians ready to vote in the 2017 Provincial General Election.
Similarly, the election period doesn’t end on General Voting Day. This period continues until the writs of election are returned, usually three weeks later. Further work continues through the remainder of the year as voting books are reviewed, field materials are returned, new registrations are processed, financial reports are submitted and reviewed, and other close-out activities are completed.
Milestones and key dates, 2017 event period
|
Day |
Milestone |
Date |
|
- |
Provincial enumeration |
February 14 - April 10 |
|
Day -1 |
End of standing nomination period |
April 10 |
|
Day 0 |
Writ Day
|
April 11 |
|
Day 1 |
Voters list is produced |
April 12 |
|
Day 7 |
Close of ordinary nomination period |
April 18, 1 p.m. |
|
Day 18 - 19 |
Advance voting |
April 29 - April 30 |
|
Day 22 - 25 |
Advance voting |
May 3 - May 6 |
|
Day 28 |
General Voting Day
|
May 9 |
|
Day 31 |
End of period to request a DEO recount |
May 12 |
|
Day 41 |
Final count begins |
May 22 |
|
Day 43 |
Final count ends |
May 24 |
|
Day 44 |
Start of period to request a judicial recount |
May 25 |
|
Day 49 |
End of period to request a judicial recount |
May 30 |
|
Day 50 |
Return Day |
May 31 |
|
Day 118 |
Election financing report filing deadline |
August 8 |
|
Day 148 |
Election financing report late filing deadline |
September 7 |
2017 Statistics at a glance
|
Officials and voting places |
|
|
Electoral districts |
87 |
|
District electoral officers |
87 |
|
Deputy district electoral officers |
90 |
|
Election officials |
23,369 |
|
Voting areas |
6,277 |
|
Advance voting places |
347 |
|
General voting places |
1,317 |
|
Voter registration and turnout |
|
|
Registered voters at election call |
3,156,991 |
|
Voters who registered when voting |
89,656 |
|
Registered voters at close of voting |
3,246,647 |
|
Registered voters who voted |
1,986,374 |
|
Voter turnout (as a percentage of registered voters) |
61.2% |
|
Estimated eligible voters |
3,441,054 |
|
Percentage of estimated eligible voters registered |
94.4% |
|
Voter turnout (as a percentage of estimated eligible voters) |
57.7% |
|
Candidates, political parties and advertising sponsors |
|
|
Registered political parties |
28 |
|
Registered political parties that endorsed candidate(s) |
18 |
|
Standing nominations filed |
264 |
|
Ordinary nominations filed |
107 |
|
Candidates |
371 |
|
Registered advertising sponsors |
293 |
|
Registered political party expenses limit |
$4,882,404.95 |
|
Candidate expenses limit |
$77,674.62 |
|
Third party advertising limit (for a single electoral district) |
$3,328.91 |
|
Third party advertising limit (province-wide) |
$166,445.62 |
|
Results |
|
|
Total valid votes |
1,974,712 |
|
Rejected ballots |
11,662 |
|
BC Liberal Party candidates elected |
43 |
|
BC NDP candidates elected |
41 |
|
BC Green Party candidates elected |
3 |