As this year's provincial election on Oct. 19 approaches, fewer British Columbians are thinking about mailing in their vote.
Less than one-in-ten residents, about eight per cent, will ask for mail-in ballots in 2024, according to a poll from Research Co. About 28 per cent voted by mail in the fall 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The online survey released on Aug. 2 asked British Columbians how they voted in the last provincial election and how they plan to vote in this one.
More than half of British Columbians (52 per cent) said they will cast their ballot in person on Election Day. In 2020, less than one-third of the province’s residents (28 per cent) voted in person.
The survey also found that fewer British Columbians will take advantage of advance voting. Just over one-in-five British Columbians (21 per cent) plan to vote in person during advance voting, down from 32 per cent who chose the method four years ago.
The survey also asked British Columbians how much attention they might pay to the election and what feelings they associate with it.
More than seven-in-10 British Columbians (72 per cent) said they will “definitely” or “probably” watch, listen or read news about the campaign in the media once it gets underway.
More than three-in-five British Columbians also plan to read the platforms and policy positions of political parties on their websites and review the background of candidates who are running in their riding.
But if British Columbians are interested in reading about policies, they are less inclined to hear from politicians themselves. Fifty-two per cent of British Columbians plan to attend or watch a debate featuring the main party leaders, 48 per cent will attend or watch a debate featuring candidates from their constituency, while 29 per cent will meet candidates who knock on their door.
British Columbians' enthusiasm for the election – at least for now – appears limited.
When asked what feelings they have about this year’s provincial election, more than three-in-10 British Columbians (31 per cent) mentioned 'indifference', while just one-in-four (25 per cent) said the upcoming vote elicits 'enthusiasm.'
