Ways to vote

You don’t have to vote on election day. Federal, provincial and local elections in BC all offer at least one earlier option, and provincial and federal elections also let you vote by mail. This lesson uses British Columbia as the example: first the provincial election, then federal, then local.

BC provincial election, 2026: advance voting runs October 16–21, the last day to request a vote-by-mail package online or by phone is October 18, and Final Voting Day is October 24.¹ BC’s general local elections are a week earlier, on October 17.²

BC provincial election

Advance voting

Advance voting runs October 16–21, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. You don’t need a reason to use it, and you can vote at any advance voting location in BC.³

Final Voting Day

Final Voting Day is October 24, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time. On this day you have an assigned voting place, listed on your Where to Vote card.³

At a district electoral office

District electoral offices are opening across BC. You can vote at any of them once it opens, until 4 p.m. Pacific time on October 24.³

Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Advance voting days: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Closed September 30 (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) and October 12 (Thanksgiving).

By mail

Voting by mail works well if you’ll be away during advance voting and on Final Voting Day. Request a package at elections.bc.ca/votebymail or by calling 1-800-661-8683. The last day to ask online or by phone is October 18, but request it early so you have time to send it back.³

Elections BC must receive your completed package by 8 p.m. Pacific time on October 24.
Return it by mail, or drop it off at any district electoral office or voting place.
If you’re not registered, or your details are out of date, you’ll need to prove your identity and address. Upload ID to Elections BC’s secure system, or include photocopies in the package.
Everyone writes their birthdate on the certification envelope and signs a declaration that they’re eligible.

Once Elections BC receives your completed package, you can’t vote another way.⁴

Your Where to Vote card

Elections BC mails a Where to Vote card to registered voters before advance voting starts. It lists your Final Voting Day voting place and the advance voting options in your district. Register or update your details by October 1 to make sure you get one.¹ Bringing the card is optional. It counts as one of two pieces of ID if you use it.⁵ See What to bring for the full ID rules.

Federal elections

Federal elections use the same four options, with different names and deadlines. Watch for your voter information card once an election is called.⁶

Election day. Vote at your assigned polling station. In BC, polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific time.⁷
Advance polls. Held on the 10th, 9th, 8th and 7th days before election day (Friday to Monday), 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., at your assigned advance polling station.⁶^,⁷
At an Elections Canada office. You can vote at any Elections Canada office in the country until the 6th day before election day (the Tuesday). Bring proof of identity and address, apply for a special ballot on the spot, and vote right away.⁶
By mail. After an election is called, apply for a special ballot with proof of identity and address. Elections Canada mails you a kit.⁶

Special ballot rules apply to both mail and office voting:⁶

Your application must reach Elections Canada by 6 p.m. on the Tuesday before election day.
Your marked ballot must arrive by the election day deadline, or it won’t be counted.
Once your application is accepted, that’s your only way to vote. You can’t go to an advance poll or vote on election day instead.

BC local elections

General voting day is Saturday, October 17, 2026, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time.² Each city, regional district and school board runs its own election, so check your local government’s website for voting places and dates. Elections BC doesn’t run local voting.⁸

What every local government must offer, and what’s up to them:²

Required: an advance voting day 10 days before general voting day (October 7, 2026). Places with more than 5,000 people must hold at least two advance voting days.
Optional: more advance voting days, special voting (often in hospitals and care homes) and mail ballots. If your local government’s bylaw offers mail ballots, any eligible voter can use them.
Not allowed: voting online or by phone.

Time off work to vote

Election	Your right
BC provincial	Four consecutive hours free from work during voting hours, on an advance voting day or Final Voting Day⁹
Federal	Three consecutive hours free from work during voting hours on election day¹⁰
BC local	None. Employers don’t have to give time off.⁸

Your employer decides when the time off happens, and can’t cut your pay for it. If your shift already leaves enough free hours (for example, it ends at 4 p.m.), you get no extra time.⁹^,¹⁰

If you need help voting

BC provincial. Anyone can get help marking their ballot, from an election official or a friend or family member. Each district electoral office has an Accessible Voting System for voting independently, including with sight loss. Every voting place has Braille candidate lists and Braille ballot templates. All advance voting places are physically accessible, and if you can’t get into a building you can vote at the curb. You can bring your own translator or interpreter. If you have sight loss or a health condition that stops you voting other ways, you may qualify for assisted telephone voting. Your voter details must be up to date.¹¹

Federal. Polling stations offer help marking your ballot, magnifiers, braille and tactile templates, and large-print candidate lists. Ask in advance for sign language interpretation. If your polling place isn’t accessible to you, ask your local Elections Canada office about a transfer certificate to vote at another accessible location in your riding.¹²

BC local. Local governments must make voting places as accessible as reasonably possible, including curbside voting, help marking your ballot and bringing your own translator.²

All options at a glance

	BC provincial	Federal	BC local
Election day	Oct 24, assigned voting place	Assigned polling station	Oct 17, set by your local government
Advance voting	Oct 16–21, any location	10th–7th days before, assigned station	At least one day, Oct 7
At an elections office	Any district electoral office, until 4 p.m. Oct 24	Any Elections Canada office, until the Tuesday before	Not offered
By mail	Request by Oct 18	Special ballot, apply by the Tuesday before	Only if your local government offers it

Official sources

Elections BC, 2026 Provincial Election key dates. ↩ ↩²
BC government, Voter registration and voting in local elections. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Elections BC, Ways to Vote (2026 provincial election). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Elections BC, Vote-by-Mail ID Upload and Corrections System FAQ. ↩
Elections BC, Where to Vote (2026 provincial election). ↩
Elections Canada, Ways to Vote. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Canada Elections Act , s. 128(1)(d) (Pacific time zone hours) and s. 171(2) (advance poll hours). By-elections can use different hours. ↩ ↩²
BC government, Election 2026 FAQs for Voting Day. ↩ ↩²
Elections BC, Time Off Work for Voting, under section 74 of BC’s Election Act. There are exceptions, for example for voters too remote to reach any voting place during voting hours. ↩ ↩²
Elections Canada, FAQs for Electors: Voting. Some transportation-industry jobs are exempt. ↩ ↩²
Elections BC, Voting Accessibility (2026 provincial election). Most, not all, Final Voting Day voting places are physically accessible. ↩
Elections Canada, Accessibility. ↩