Voting by mail? Make sure you get it delivered by Oct. 17 deadline

With the municipal elections just days away, cities are advising voters to deliver mail-in ballots by hand at city hall or advance voting locations. Photo by PNG

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As the municipal elections close in, voters across B.C. are being warned that time is running out on mail-in ballots.

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The City of Vancouver’s deadline to ask for a mail-in ballot is long past. And with only a couple of business days left before election day on Saturday, Oct. 17, voters are being advised to take them to one of the drop boxes around the city.

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To find a drop box location near you, check the map and list at vancouver.ca. Of course, one of those is Vancouver City Hall, but there are also nearly a dozen community centres available as drop-off locations.

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In Surrey, the deadline to request a mail-in ballot passed a week ago, and Wednesday, Oct. 14, was the deadline to request a mail-in ballot.

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At this point, it will only be available for pickup at city hall.

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The City of Victoria has a similar message. On Tuesday, the city said it has learned of delays in mail delivery and advised those with completed mail-in ballots that they should deliver them by hand rather than pop them in the mail.

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For the record, Canada Post said there have been no unforeseen delays. “In checking with our Victoria operations team, they indicate that all mail items are being processed without delay or backlog, including the return of mail-in ballots,” it told Postmedia on Tuesday.

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Completed mail ballots can be delivered to city hall or an advance voting location. See victoria.ca for instructions.

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Voters in other municipalities should check their municipality’s website to see how they can drop off mail-in ballots.

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Advance voting days are also underway in many municipalities across the province for those who want to get their votes in before Oct. 17 but missed the local mail-in deadline.

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Provincial mail-in deadline soon

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As for the provincial election, voters can request a vote-by-mail package until 8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18.

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Completed ballots can still be returned by mail, but if you are concerned they won’t arrive in time, they can be returned in person at any district electoral office or on any advance or final voting day on Saturday, Oct. 24.

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