Nanaimo By-election Called for January 30, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2, 2019

VICTORIA – A provincial by-election has been called for Wednesday, January 30, 2019 in the Nanaimo electoral district.

The seat became vacant when MLA Leonard Krog resigned on November 30, 2018.

Residents of the Nanaimo electoral district are eligible to vote in the by-election if they are:

• 18 or older on January 30, 2019,
• a Canadian citizen, and
• a resident of B.C. since July 29, 2018.

Eligible voters who are not on the voters list must register or update their information by midnight today online at elections.bc.ca/ovr or by phone at 1-800-661-8683. After midnight today, eligible voters can only register in person at voting opportunities.

Candidate nominations for the Nanaimo by-election close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. Nominations may be filed with the Chief Electoral Officer until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 4, 2019. After this time, they may be filed with the Nanaimo District Electoral Officer, up to the deadline on January 9. Find out more at elections.bc.ca/provincial-elections/provincial-candidates/.

Advance voting will be available over six days from Tuesday, January 22 to Sunday, January 27, 2019 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Advance voting places and the dates and times they are open will be published on the Elections BC website, in community newspapers, and on Where to Vote cards that will be sent to Nanaimo voters before advance voting starts. All advance voting places are wheelchair accessible.

General Voting Day is January 30, 2019. Voting places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voting is also available at the Nanaimo district electoral office (201-65 Front St, Nanaimo, B.C.) from now until 4 p.m. on General Voting Day, and by mail. Vote by mail packages can be requested through the district electoral office, on Elections BC’s website, or by calling 1-800-661-8683.

Vote by mail packages must be returned to the district electoral office before voting closes at 8 p.m. on January 30, 2019. Voters with disabilities are encouraged to contact Elections BC for accessible voting opportunities.

All voters must show ID to receive a ballot. Acceptable ID is listed at elections.bc.ca/id.

For more information, visit elections.bc.ca, follow Elections BC on social media, or call 1-800-661-8683.

-30-

Attachment: Backgrounder – Provincial by-elections

Contact:
Rebecca Penz
Director, Communications
Elections BC
Phone: 250-886-0806
Email: rebecca.penz@elections.bc.ca
Website: www.elections.bc.ca

Elections BC is the independent, non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for administering electoral processes in B.C. under the Election Act, Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, Recall and Initiative Act and Referendum Act.

BACKGROUNDER

January 2, 2019

ABOUT BY-ELECTIONS

• Elections BC administers provincial by-elections under the Election Act.
• Under the Constitution Act, a by-election must be called within six months of a seat becoming vacant in the Legislative Assembly, unless the seat is vacant due to the recall of the MLA, in which case a by-election must be called within 90 days.
• 198 by-elections have been administered in B.C.; thirteen under the current Act.
• The first by-election occurred on June 22, 1872 in the Cariboo electoral district following the resignation of MLA Cornelius Booth; three previous by-elections were called in Esquimalt, New Westminster and Cariboo, but no votes were held as the seats were filled by acclamation.
• The last provincial by-election in B.C. was on February 14, 2018 in the Kelowna West electoral district. Voter turnout was 31.55% of registered voters.
• A by-election involves a single electoral district, although concurrent by-elections may be held.

NANAIMO ELECTORAL DISTRICT

• The Chief Electoral Officer received the warrant for the Nanaimo by-election on November 30, 2018.
• The Writ of Election was issued on the morning of January 2, 2019. General voting will take place on January 30, 2019.
• Candidate nominations for the Nanaimo by-election close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.
• There were 45,374 registered voters in the Nanaimo electoral district as of December 31, 2018.
• Voter turnout in Nanaimo for the 2017 General Election was 62.3% of registered voters.