What will the potential name change mean for the B.C. Liberal Party?

Voting began Nov. 13to determine whether the B.C. Liberal Partyshould change its name to B.C. United, but former party stalwartsincluding a previousleadersay they fearthe rebrand could mean the party's shift further to the right on the political spectrum.

According to a news release from the party, the new namereflects their commitment to unityand "speaks to a fresher, more modern brand."

One of the biggest cheerleaders of the switch is B.C. Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon,who served as a cabinet minister under formerB.C. Liberal premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark.

Caroline Elliott, vice president of the party and asupporter of the namechange, says the decision is up totheir approximately-45,000 members but she expects theywill be in favour of it, if the support itreceived during their June convention wereany indication.

"It's really been driven by members from day one,our leader Kevin Falcon has been 100 per cent clear about that," Elliottsaid.

"He said look, this is something our members keep talking about, let's make it totally up to them."

The motion needs 60 per cent of voter support to move ahead.

Gordon Campbell led shift to right: former party leader

Former B.C. Liberal leader Gordon Wilson says he expects the name change to go through after which he will likely no longer be a member.

"I think I would probably give up my membership," said Wilson, who led the party from 1987 to 1993.

Wilson helped reinvigoratethe B.C. Liberals in the late 1980s: the party thenshared an office andfunding with the federal Liberal Party,until Wilson led the provincial arm in a vote to split in 1989.

"What I wanted to do was to build a free enterprise party that was more open to the admission and bring in people from all walks of life [who]would be able to engage in this party," Wilson told CBC in an interview.

"So it was a philosophical split as well as the main difference."

Wilson went on to form a new party, the Progressive Democratic Alliance, from 1993 to 1999, before joining the B.C. New Democratic Party.There, heran for leadership in 2000 but pulled out of the race just before voting began.

In 2013, he endorsed the B.C. Liberals, led by Christy Clark, during the provincial election.

Wilson says it was under Campbell's leadership that the party slowly shifted right.

"Since that time, the conservative influence in the Liberal Party has grown," he said.

"It's become much greater and for a lot of these federal conservatives, the name 'Liberals' sticks in their throat like a chicken bone."

Name change a 'bad idea': former government advisor

Martyn Brown, Campbell's chief of staff,also says the change is a bad idea andreflects a change in ideology but he expects it to pass.

"I think it's a very, very bad idea that is very short-sighted I think," Brown told CBCin aninterview.

"An awful lot of people will be alienated that are liberals. Clearly this is all about bringing more conservatives into the party."

Reflecting on why the party hasfailed to win in recent elections, Brown says the B.C. Liberals'problem is not their name, butthat they are not living up to it allowing the B.C.NDP to take up that space on the political spectrum.

"Ironically, in trying to keep conservatives on side they alienated the very votes that they need, which are mostly liberal votes in the large urban centres, Metro Vancouver especially."

He saysFalcon has made strong efforts to reach out to multicultural communitiesand is attracting younger voters with the promise of a big tent party but has conservative views, makingit difficult to win over progressives.

Falcon recruited former Surrey RCMP spokesperson Elenore Sturko,a member of the LGBTQ community,in a South Surreybyelectionfollowingthe departure of previous Liberal representative,Stephanie Cadieux, who resignedto become Canada's first chief accessibility officer. Sturko won the seat in September.

FalconalsooustedNechako Lakes MLA John Rustad for his social media posts on climate change.

However, the leader was recently photographed meeting federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, who is known for his right to hard-rightviews.

Policies over party name: political scientist

The B.C. Liberalshave grappled withthe idea of a name change for decades,whether to create anew brand and energize the party, or to distinguish itselffrom the federal Liberals.

Political scientist Stewart Prest with Quest University says the party started moving into prominence when it was able to draw votes from the centre-rightin the 1990s.

"Part of its recipe for success with the rise of of Gordon Campbell and subsequently ChristyClark was its ability todraw on voters who might vote for both the federal Liberals and the federal Conservative Party to really be this centrist, centre-right voice," Prest said.

He says thatloose coalition of votersstarted to break downwith the rise of the B.C. NDPunder Premier John Horgan, with the NDP attractingvoters on the promise of low taxes, focus on resource development, and progressive actions on theenvironment.

He adds thatwhile "B.C. United"sounds like the name of a soccer or basketball team,the rebrandcould be successful if thereis also an effort to attract younger voters in urban ridings, where the B.C. Liberals have faltered.

"What really matters itself is less the name of the party itself than what kinds of policies become associated with it," said Prest.

The B.C. Liberal Party is expected toannounce the result of the vote on Wednesday,two days before B.C.NDP MLA David Eby is sworn in as the province's next premier.