British Columbians head to the polls

Polls in B.C.'s general election are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday, Oct. 19.

British Columbians will be electing the next government in what has been a tight race between the B.C. NDP, led by David Eby and the Conservative Party of B.C., led by John Rustad.

Both parties have candidates in each of British Columbia's 93 ridings, while the B.C. Green Party, led by Sonia Furstenau, has 69 candidates in total.

There are also arecord 40 Independents on ballots across the province, including sixincumbent MLAs.

The opening hours of some polling stations were affected by power outages related to the atmospheric river pummeling parts of the province with heavy rain and wind. The most up-to-date information on polling station availabilityis on the Elections B.C. website.

Elections B.C. expects results to be returned quickly as it hasadopted the use of laptops instead of paper lists for voting.

A record1,001,331 took part in advance voting, representing more than 28 per cent of all registered electors.

Catch up on the campaign

WATCH | Breaking down the B.C. election:

B.C.s close and controversial election explained

3 days ago

Duration 5:44

With B.C.s governing NDP and the insurgent Conservatives running neck and neck ahead of the provincial election, CBC's Lyndsay Duncombe breaks down how a party with just eight seats is within striking distance of winning and why Greens and Independents could make all the difference.

For a quick comparison of where the partiesstand on key issues, youcan visit our party platform comparison:

• How B.C.'s 3 main parties compare on top election issues

You can also find a list of key stories and analyses by topic, including health care, climate change and public safety:

• Still deciding? CBC stories outline key issues shaping B.C.'s election campaign

Still not enough?You can find all of our election stories here.

LISTEN | The B.C. election campaign so far:

Front Burner24:19Conspiracies, controversies, and B.Cs election drama

How to vote

You can vote if you are a Canadian citizen who is 18 or older as of Oct. 19, 2024 and have been a resident of B.C. since April 18, 2024.

You can find out where to vote usingElections B.C.'s Where to Vote app and website at wheretovote.elections.bc.ca.

• How to vote in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election

In order to vote, you will need to prove your identity and address using ID or other documentation or, if that is not an option, have someone with identification formally vouch for you. Information on how to do so and valid identificationcan be found on the Elections B.C. website.

If you are uncertain of your riding, you can find it by entering your address here. A list of registered candidates in each riding can be found here.

Get the results live

BC Votes 2024

Live in

45 minutes

Special coverage, analysis and results of the provincial election.

On election night,Oct. 19, join CBC hosts from7 p.m. to 11 p.m.to watch and listen toBC Votes 2024 a special evening of election programming featuring guest interviews and in-depth expert analysis on all CBC B.C. platforms.

Online:Stream onCBC News BC,CBC Gemandcbc.ca/bcas well as onTikTokandYouTube.
TV:Live on CBC Television (check your TV service provider for channel).
Listen:Starting at8 p.m.on CBC Radio One orlisten online.