B.C. Votes 2017
The Westcoast Reader April 2017
Your ballot goes in the ballot box.
B.C. votes in May British Columbia is having a general election in May.
Tuesday, May 9 General Voting Day is scheduled for May 9, 2017.
The Legislative Assembly of B.C. in Victoria
Joe wants to vote. Is he eligible?
What are we voting for?
Can this person vote?
B.C. voters will elect 87 MLAs or Members of the Legislative Assembly.
This is Joe.
Each MLA is elected by the voters from a certain area of B.C.
He is 71 years old.
These areas are called electoral districts. Another common name for an electoral district is a riding.
Voting places are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time on General Voting Day.
Joe lives in Kelowna. Joe was born in Alberta. He moved to Kelowna, B.C. in 2015. He wanted to be near his grandchildren. Joe has never voted in a B.C. general election. He wants to vote this time. Can Joe vote in the B.C. general election this year? He can if he is eligible. Is Joe eligible to vote? Read these rules for who can vote.
Who can vote? You can vote if you are
Find your electoral district
18 or older on General Voting Day
Look at the map of B.C. electoral districts on Page 2.
a Canadian citizen
The map will help you find the electoral district you live in
a resident of B.C. for the six months before General Voting Day
see all the electoral districts of B.C. You can also find maps on the Elections BC website. These maps are interactive. You can also download and print the map as a poster. Show your ID to the voting clerk.
On the web: www.elections.bc.ca April 2017 • The Westcoast Reader • B.C. Votes 2017 1
B.C. Electoral Districts
Where do you live? Find your electoral district on the map. Most electoral districts have names with two or more words. Some examples are • Columbia River-Revelstoke • Nanaimo-North Cowichan • Surrey South
Largest and smallest Electoral District
SKN Stikine
Area in km2 196,484
Population (2014) 20,616
VFC Vancouver-False Creek
6
57,261
VKI Vancouver-Kingsway
9
62,459
New in 2017 There are two new electoral districts for this election - one each in Surrey and Richmond. These cities are growing. 2 • The Westcoast Reader • B.C. Votes 2017 • April 2017
Anna is a first-time voter. She has to take some steps to vote.
Step 1
Anna registers to vote before April 11, 2017. Registering to vote before the election makes voting faster and easier. Anna is eligible to vote. She goes online to www.elections.bc.ca/ovr. She answers the questions. She types in her personal information and address.
Step 2
Step 3
Anna’s Where to Vote card comes in the mail.
Anna is ready to vote.
Anna is happy to see her Where to Vote card in the mail. Anna reads the card. One side has her name, address, and the places where she can vote.
Anna doesn’t like to wait. She doesn’t want to go to the wrong place. Anna reads the address on her Where to Vote card. She brings her ID to prove who she is.
On the other side of the card Anna reads about the ID she must bring when she votes.
She takes her Where to Vote card with her to the voting place.
Anna could also register as an eligible voter by telephone. The number is 1-800-661-8683.
“Bring this card with you,” Anna reads.
Bringing the card makes voting easier and faster.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Anna goes to the voting place on her Where to Vote card.
Anna signs in.
Anna votes.
Anna shows her Where to Vote card and ID. She signs the voting book. She gets a list of candidate names called a ballot. Anna takes the ballot behind the voting screen.
Anna marks the ballot with or . She folds the ballot and takes it back to the voting official. After the voting official removes the ballot’s stub, Anna puts the ballot in the ballot box.
Anna sees other voters there. Some are registering at the voting place.
What ID do I need to vote? You need ID to prove your identity and address. Which ID do you have? A. One piece of government ID with your name, photo and address — like a BC driver’s license, BCID or BC Services Card with your photo B. A Certificate of Indian Status C. Two different documents — both must have your name and one must have your address. For example, a student card and a government cheque will work. No ID? There is one more way. It is called vouching. See www.elections.bc.ca for more information about ID and vouching. April 2017 • The Westcoast Reader • B.C. Votes 2017 3
Many ways to vote in B.C.
Days for advance voting
People at a voting place
You can vote by mail.
Advance voting
General Voting Day
Voting by mail
It is possible to vote before General Voting Day. This is called advance voting.
General Voting Day is scheduled for May 9, 2017.
You can also vote by mail.
When? Advance voting is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (local time) on
Saturday April 29
Sunday April 30
Wednesday May 3
Thursday May 4
Friday May 5
Saturday May 6
Voting places are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time. Most people vote at the general voting place on their Where to Vote card. This voting place is near their home. It is usually faster to vote there.
Your Where to Vote card shows the advance voting places in your electoral district. Why? There are lots of reasons to vote before General Voting Day. Advance voting is easy and open to all voters. Every advance voting place is wheelchair accessible.
You can also vote at any district electoral office from when an election is called to 4 p.m. Pacific time on General Voting Day.
Who are the candidates? The people running for office are called candidates. When you vote, you mark an or a beside one candidate’s name.
Help is available.
The list of candidates is final one week after the election is officially announced. Find the list of candidates for your electoral district at www.elections.bc.ca.
Election officials are trained to help. Do you need help reading or marking your ballot? Ask for help. There are also services to help voters with disabilities. Ask for help or services at the voting place.
1918
1949 Mary Ellen Smith, first woman MLA
Elections BC
The Westcoast Reader Decoda Literacy Solutions 980 – 1125 Howe Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K8
Art — Nola Johnston
Most B.C. women won the right to vote in provincial elections.
Wheelchair Accessible Icon — Candice Gras / The Noun Project
Mary Ellen Smith from Vancouver was the first woman elected as an MLA in B.C.
B.C. Legislature — Weixi Zeng via Wikimedia Commons
Indigenous, Japanese-Canadian, and Chinese-Canadian women and men won the right to vote.
Voting Place Sign — Jenelle Schneider/ Vancouver Sun
www.elections.bc.ca
Supplement Writer: Tracy Defoe
Graphic Design — Caroline Calvert Creative Photos — provided by Elections BC except Voting Day — Nick Procaylo /Vancouver Sun Mailbox — Raysonho via Wikimedia Commons Mary Ellen Smith —City of Vancouver Archives
1-800-661-8683
The Westcoast Reader is published by Decoda Literacy Solutions in partnership with Camosun College and with financial assistance from the BC Ministry of Advanced Education.
Editor: Patty Bossort Phone: 604.681.4199 E-mail: wcr@decoda.ca
Some candidates represent a political party. Names and contact information for political parties are also available at www.elections.bc.ca. Credits
Did you know… 1917
The package will be mailed to you or you can pick it up. Your completed package must be returned to the district electoral office by 8 p.m. Pacific time on General Voting Day.
Voting in the district electoral office
Where? All voters can vote at any advance voting place in B.C.
How? To vote by mail, ask for a Vote by Mail package. You can get a package from Elections BC by calling 1-800-661-8683, online at www.elections.bc.ca or from your local district electoral office.
B.C. Votes 2017 is made available as a public service. You may use or distribute this content to inform the public about the electoral process in B.C. as long as you do not change the information, graphics or photos.
How to subscribe The Westcoast Reader is written for adults improving their reading skills. Groups, programs, and individuals can subscribe to The Westcoast Reader. A one-year subscription is 10 issues. For prices and to order, contact: Decoda Literacy Solutions Society Mail: 980-1125 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K8 Phone: 604.681.4199
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