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Absentee ballots: What they are, why they matter

B.C.'s provincial election came down to the wire and it's still not clear who will actually form government.

While preliminary results are now available, the final ballot count won't become official until between May 22 and 24.

The main reason? Absentee ballots won't be tallied until at least May 22.

Historically, the delayed counting of absentee ballots has meant only minor changes in final results.

But with last night's election results being so close, absentee ballots may actually decide whether the BC Liberals have a majority or minority government.

Here's what you need to know:

  • Any ballot not cast at a voter's assigned voting place is considered an absentee ballot.
  • This includes voting at district electoral offices, advance voting places and voting by mail.
  • There were about 51,000 absentee ballots cast in the 2013 election.
  • The B.C. Election Act lays out specific timelines for the counting of absentee ballots, which won't happen until between May 22 and 24.
  • According to Elections BC the reason for the two-week delay is primarily logistical.

The close race in the Courtenay-Comox riding on Vancouver Island may be the deciding factor in the 2017 provincial election.

Preliminary results in Courtenay-Comox put the NDP's Ronna-Rae Leonard ahead of the Liberals' Jim Benninger by just nine votes.

With the Liberals currently set to take 43 of the 44 seats required for a majority government, a turnaround in Courtenay-Comox would have major consequences.

With the BC Liberals needing one more seat to form a majority government, pending absentee ballots for the area could change who wins the riding and thus have major consequences on what type of government is formed in B.C.

Let this be an excellent example that your vote always matters.



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