Several voting stations were temporarily closed Saturday during the final day of B.C.’s provincial election due to power outages.
The closures came as B.C. was battered by an atmospheric river that brought heavy rains to many parts of the province.
As of 12 p.m., the polling stations that had been closed due to power outages had all been reopened.
Elections B.C. spokesperson Andrew Watson said that if necessary, amid the storm, election officials are equipped to run the polls without electricity.
“As long as it’s safe to continue to administer voting in a location where there’s been a power outage, officials can go to a manual, paper-based process and continue to serve voters.”
The following polls were closed due to power outages earlier in the day, but are now open:
- R.L. Clemitson Elementary School, Kamloops-North Thompson
- Dallas Elementary School, Kamloops-North Thompson
- Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary School, Langley-Walnut Grove
- Hornby Island Community Hall, Mid Island-Pacific Rim
- Denman Island Seniors Hall, Mid Island-Pacific Rim
- Mayne Island Community Centre, Saanich North and the Islands
The most up-to-date information on polling stations is available on the Elections B.C. website.
Another two polling stations were affected by what Elections B.C. refers to as “election official availability.” As of 12 p.m., the G.E. Darby United Church in North Coast-Haida Gwaii was reopened after a temporary closure, and Dease Lake Community Hall in Bulkley Valley-Stikine was declared closed, with Elections B.C. asking voters to call them at 1-800-661-8683 to discuss their voting options.