The 41st provincial election in British Columbia will be held on May 9, 2017 in what is shaping up to be a tight contest between the two main political parties.
The ruling B.C. Liberal Party has been governing the province since 2001, and is looking to win another term.
Meanwhile, the B.C. NDP is working to regain power after 16 years of being in the opposition benches.
The B.C. Green Party, on the other hand, has been gaining a lot of traction, and is projected to increase its share its share from one seat in the legislative assembly.
There are even projections that the election may produce a minority government, with the Greens holding the balance of power.
B.C. Liberal Premier Christy Clark is campaigning for a new term, with jobs and the economy as her party’s principal issues.
Clark led the B.C. Liberals to a surprise win in the 2013 elections, with surveys leading up to that election showing that the B.C. NDP under then leader Adrian Dix were going to win.
John Horgan, current leader of the B.C. NDP, is promising to make life easier for British Columbians, with a number of campaign promises.
Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, has said that the Greens are offering a new alternative to B.C. voters.
The election is administered by Elections B.C., an independent, non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for administering electoral processes in British Columbia under the Election Act, Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, Recall and Initiative Act and Referendum Act.
Canadian citizens, 18 or older, who are residents of B.C. for the last six months, can vote.
There are lots of ways to vote.
Advance voting is available on April 29 and 30, and May 3, 4, 5 and 6. Advance voting places are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
General voting Day is Tuesday, May 9. Voting places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Provincial general elections are scheduled to occur every four years on the second Tuesday in May.
Voters are reminded to bring their Where to Vote card and acceptable voter ID with them when they vote. A list of acceptable voter ID is available on the Elections BC website.
The candidate nomination period for B.C. 41st provincial general election closed at 1 p.m., April 18, 2017.
There are 371 candidates representing 18 registered political parties in the election.
Thirty-three candidates are running as independents, and two candidates are running as neither independent nor as representatives of a registered political party.
A total of 87 seats in the B.C. provincial legislative assembly are up for grabs in the election.
