---
title: "337,961 ballots cast in first two days of BC advance voting"
description: "Elections BC reported 337,961 votes in the first two days of advance voting for the October 24 provincial election, nine per cent of eligible voters."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/bc-advance-voting-337000-ballots-october-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-19T04:34:36.697Z"
---

The first two days of advance voting in British Columbia's October 24 provincial election produced 337,961 ballots, Elections BC reported. CTV News published the figure on October 18, 2026.

That total is nine per cent of eligible voters, Elections BC said.

## The day-by-day breakdown

Friday October 16 was the first day of advance voting. Elections BC recorded 137,352 people voting at polling places across the province.

Saturday October 17 was also general voting day for BC's municipal elections. On that day, 200,609 provincial advance ballots were cast. The overlap with municipal voting day likely brought more people to polling stations, some of whom also cast a provincial advance ballot at the same location or nearby.

Both days are part of advance voting, which runs until October 21, 2026. Voters who use advance voting do not need to vote again on general voting day, October 24.

## How it compares to 2024

The 2024 provincial election saw 326,963 voters in its first two advance voting days. The 2026 total of 337,961 is higher by 11,000. CTV News noted there were 130,000 more registered voters in 2026 than in 2024, making a direct percentage comparison between the two years more complex.

The 2024 election set records for advance voting overall. Nearly 50 per cent of voters cast their ballots before voting day that year. The highest single day in 2024 was 222,993 votes.

## About the snap election timing

BC NDP Leader David Eby called this election two years before the fixed election date, a decision that overlapped the provincial campaign with municipal elections across the province. One concern raised by critics was that the overlap could cause voter fatigue or confusion between the two separate ballots. Saturday's combined voting day is the most direct point of that overlap.

## What voters can do

Advance voting continues until October 21, 2026, at locations across BC. General voting day is October 24, 2026. You can find your polling place and check your registration details through Elections BC at elections.bc.ca. Candidates and party information for the provincial election are available at [/bc/provincial-2026](/bc/provincial-2026).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.