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Transit referendum voting rate eclipsing municipal election turnout

38 per cent of ballots now received compared to 25 to 32 per cent voter turnout in last elections (with interactive charts)
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Elections BC staff demonstrate how they handle a mail-in plebsicite.



The number of Metro Vancouverites who have voted in the transit tax plebiscite is now pulling ahead of the voter turnout in last November's municipal elections in most cities.

Elections BC has now received more than 600,000 ballots or 38 per cent of the 1.56 million packages it mailed out.

More than 550,000 ballots, or 35.3 per cent, have now gone through Elections BC's initial screening process.

The count of screened ballots (see interactive charts broken down by municipality below) shows last November's municipal election turnout has been surpassed in all major cities of the region except Surrey and Port Moody.

Most Metro cities recorded turnout in November of 25 to 32 per cent, with Vancouver at 37.6 per cent.

Surrey's rate of ballots returned and screened is just under 30 per cent – the worst in the region – but even that city isn't far behind its November election turnout rate of 31.5 per cent.

Anyone who hasn't received a ballot, or lost or misplaced theirs, has until midnight May 15 to ask Elections BC for one by calling 1-800-661-8683 or see more info at elections.bc.ca/plebiscite.

The deadline for ballots to be received is 8 p.m. Friday May 29, but ballots mailed in late May might not arrive in time and should instead be dropped off at an Elections BC plebiscite office.