BC provincial election: key dates for voters, October 2026
Nominations close October 3 at 1 p.m. Advance voting runs October 16 to 21. Election day is Saturday, October 24.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on e-know.ca.
Elections BC issued the writs for the 44th provincial general election on September 22, 2026, formally starting the campaign period. E Know reported the official dates: nominations close on October 3 at 1 p.m. Pacific time, advance voting runs October 16 to 21, and election day is Saturday, October 24.
Key dates
Election day is Saturday, October 24, 2026. Voting takes place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time.
Advance voting runs for six days: Friday, October 16 to Wednesday, October 21, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time each day.
Nominations close on Saturday, October 3 at 1 p.m. Pacific time. After that deadline, Elections BC will publish the final, official list of candidates for all 93 ridings. Until then, the candidate list continues to grow.
How to register
To receive a Where to Vote card by mail, you must register by October 1. You can register online at elections.bc.ca or by calling Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683.
To be eligible to vote, you must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old on October 24, 2026, and a resident of British Columbia since at least April 23, 2026.
You can also register or update your address at your voting location on election day.
What happens on election day
Each of the 93 ridings in British Columbia elects one Member of the Legislative Assembly. The party that wins the most seats forms the provincial government. A party needs at least 47 seats to hold a majority.
Voters need to bring identification or have someone vouch for them at the polling station. Elections BC's website has a full list of accepted ID at elections.bc.ca.
Results
Elections BC will report preliminary results starting after 8 p.m. on October 24. Official results will be complete by November 10, 2026. Preliminary results on election night may shift as mail ballots and deferred votes are counted in the days that follow.
You can follow candidate and party information for this election at /bc/provincial-2026/news.
Questions this story answers
When is the 2026 BC provincial election?
Election day for the 2026 British Columbia provincial election is Saturday, October 24, 2026. Voting takes place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time. Elections BC announced the election dates on September 22 when the writs were issued for the 44th provincial general election.
When does advance voting take place?
Advance voting for the 2026 BC provincial election runs from Friday, October 16 to Wednesday, October 21, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time each day. Elections BC published these dates when the writs were issued on September 22, 2026. You do not need to have voted in advance to vote on election day.
When do nominations close for the BC election?
Nominations for the 2026 BC provincial election close on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 1 p.m. Pacific time. After that deadline, Elections BC will publish the full, official list of candidates for all 93 ridings. The candidate list at this site will be updated after nominations close.
How do I register to vote in BC?
You can register to vote online at elections.bc.ca or by calling Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683. To receive a Where to Vote card in the mail before election day, you need to register by October 1, 2026. You can also register or update your address at your voting location on election day.
What are the eligibility requirements to vote in the BC election?
To vote in the 2026 BC provincial election, you must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old on October 24, 2026, and a resident of British Columbia since at least April 23, 2026. Elections BC confirmed these requirements when the writs were issued on September 22.
When will the official results be available?
Elections BC will report preliminary results as soon as possible after voting closes at 8 p.m. Pacific time on October 24, 2026. Elections BC has set November 10, 2026 as the date by which official results will be complete. Preliminary results on election night may differ from the final certified totals as mail ballots and other deferred votes are counted.
What is the 44th provincial general election?
The 44th provincial general election is the official name for the 2026 British Columbia provincial vote. Elections BC issued the writs on September 22, 2026, formally starting the campaign period. Ninety-three ridings each elect one MLA. The party that wins a majority of seats forms the provincial government.
Where can I find out where to vote?
Elections BC provides a voting location tool at elections.bc.ca. Registered voters who signed up before October 1, 2026 will also receive a Where to Vote card by mail. You can vote at any voting location in your riding during advance voting (October 16 to 21) or on election day (October 24). Visit [/bc/provincial-2026/news](/bc/provincial-2026/news) for more information about this election.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- E Know: Writs issued for 44th provincial general electione-know.ca
- Elections BCelections.bc.ca
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
Topics
More from voche.me
BC advance voting opens October 16 at locations across the province
OneBC candidates listed as independent on ballot after Elections BC dispute
