2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform
Request a Voting Package
If you haven’t received a voting package, you have until midnight, November 23, 2018 to request one.
- visit elections.bc.ca/ovr
- call 1-800-661-8683 (Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sat 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
- In person at a Referendum Service Office or Service BC Centre. Find location at elections.bc.ca/rso
British Columbia is having a referendum on what voting system we should use for provincial elections. The referendum is being held by mail from October 22 to November 30, 2018. Registered voters will get a voting package in the mail from Elections BC between October 22 and November 2, 2018.
Return your voting package
Your completed voting package must be received by Elections BC by 4:30 p.m. November 30, 2018. You can return it:
- By mail; or
- In person at a Referendum Service Office or Service BC Centre. Find location at elections.bc.ca/rso
Report: Voting Packages Received
View the daily report (Monday to Friday) with the number of completed referendum voting packages received by Elections BC. The report includes the provincial total, as well as a breakdown by electoral district.
Rotating Strikes at Canada Post
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has announced rotating strikes. Rotating strikes have not impacted the delivery schedule for referendum voting packages at this time. The referendum voting period is October 22 to November 30 and this has not changed as a result of the rotating strikes.
Elections BC is monitoring the situation closely, and the Chief Electoral Officer has the authority to extend the voting period for the referendum if necessary, should job action at Canada Post materially impact the referendum process. Any changes will be communicated with the public.
Voter’s Guide
Every household in BC was mailed a referendum voter’s guide in October. The guide covers how to vote in the referendum and information about all four voting systems on the referendum ballot.
Where can I get more information?
Watch videos and find out more about the characteristics of each voting system on our website, and get information from all sides in the debate.
- First Past the Post (FPTP)
- Mixed Member Proportional (MMP)
- Dual Member Proportional (DMP)
- Rural-Urban Proportional (RUP)
The Attorney General of British Columbia released a recommendations report about the referendum and the voting systems on the ballot. Read the report here.
Who can vote in the referendum?
You can vote in the referendum if you are:
- a Canadian citizen,
- 18 or older as of November 30, 2018, and
- a resident of B.C. for at least six months immediately before November 30, 2018.
Important dates
| Referendum campaign period Referendum advertising is regulated during this period |
July 1, 2018 – November 30, 2018 |
| Voting period Voting packages are distributed and returned |
October 22, 2018 – November 30, 2018 |
| Voting packages mailed to registered voters | October 22, 2018 – November 2, 2018 |
| Referendum Service Offices open | November 5, 2018 |
| Voters can ask for a voting package | November 3, 2018 – November 23, 2018 |
| Deadline to ask for a voting package | Midnight, Friday, November 23, 2018 |
| Elections BC must receive your ballot by this deadline | 4:30 p.m. (local time), Friday, November 30, 2018 |
