Elections BC > Provincial Elections > B.C.’s Next Provincial General Election

B.C.’s Next Provincial General Election

B.C.’s next provincial election is scheduled for Saturday, October 19, 2024.

B.C.’s next election will be the first general election conducted under the modernized Election Act. New technology will be used to administer the election.

The changes include using electronic tabulators to count paper ballots and laptops to look up voters and cross them off the voters list. These changes will make voting faster and easier. This technology was tested successfully in the 2022 Vancouver-Quilchena and Surrey South by-elections.

The changes do not include online voting or using electronic voting machines.

 Other key benefits include:

  • A first-come, first-served model to reduce line ups at voting places
  • Close to real-time participation data for parties and candidates to support get-out-the-vote efforts
  • Faster results
    • Almost all ballots will be counted on election night
    • Preliminary results will be reported shortly after voting closes on election night
    • Fewer ballots will be counted after election day and the final count of mail-in and absentee ballots may happen sooner

What will these changes look like when voting in person?

  • Next time you go to vote in person you will be served by the first available election official, instead of having an assigned voting station.
  • You’ll still use a paper ballot, but instead of dropping the ballot in a box, you’ll feed it into a tabulator for counting. (Your paper ballot will be kept in case of a recount.)
  • Once you’ve voted, election officials will use an electronic voting book to strike your name off the voters list. This lets other voting places know who has voted so no one can vote twice.
  • After voting closes, election officials will be able to tabulate and report the results almost immediately, providing fast and accurate results.

Why is Elections BC making these changes?

  • These changes are a result of legislation, the Election Amendment Act, 2019. They are intended to make voting more efficient and accessible, provide better service to voters and political participants, and provide faster results on election day.