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PHOTOS: Prince George candidate Shirley Bond encourages mail-in voters to utilize unique service for 2020 B.C. election

Curbside voting can be ideal service, Bond says, especially as the snow falls
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer

The 2020 B.C. election is coming during a very unusual time with the COVID-19 pandemic, and now with early snowfall in Prince George.

Both situations have their challenges, but one local candidate is taking advantage of one of the unique services being provided for voters this time around.

Liberal Shirley Bond received a mail-in ballot, which she then cast into an Elections BC box curbside at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre this morning (Oct. 19) on the fifth official day of advanced voting.

“It just goes to show you the innovation that’s been required because of a snap-election and I wanted to make sure that voters knew that you can ask for curbside service,” said the Prince George-Valemount candidate seeking a sixth consecutive term in the riding.

“They will actually bring the ballot box for your mail-in ballot, and the other key message is that today, you can not, and should not, mail your ballot away. You need to take it to a voting location; you can either go in or have the box brought out because otherwise, you can not guarantee that it’ll be counted in this election.”

Elections BC says ‘curbside’ is one of the many accessible services it’s providing for the 2020 provincial election, primarily for those with disabilities and at-risk voters susceptible to COVID-19.

Other options include assisted telephone voting and site-based voting.

As of this publication, 3,901 constituents in Prince George-Valemount over the last four days of advanced voting, equalling 10.6 per cent of eligible voters.

In Prince George-Mackenzie, 3,290 voters have cast their ballot (9.6 per cent) out of 34,433 riding residents.

Bond says she’s concerned about low-voter turnout this year and believes those who didn’t mail their ballot this past Saturday (Oct. 17), which was the deadline Elections BC recommended in order for them to count on Saturday, Oct. 24, should create a plan and utilize what service they can during these unprecedented times.

“We’re very privileged to live in a democracy and as bumpy and difficult as it can be, it’s important to teach our children and our grand-children,” she said when asked by PrinceGeorgeMatters about the influence of exercising the right to vote regardless of circumstances.

“I’ve never mailed in a ballot before and obviously today, I dropped it off. So it’s an opportunity for us to educate and engage. I think the big concern that most people running for office would have is that we need to get people to pay attention and it’s very difficult when you’re not having big rallies and all those things are typical in an election campaign. We’ve taken to social media in a way that’s quite unique for me and I also took the opportunity to teach my grandsons about the importance of getting engaged and getting out to vote.”

Bond noted this is the first time she went to a poll without her husband Bill, who passed away in June following a series of health challenges.

Here's a refresher on where to vote, dates and times that advance polling stations are open in the two Prince George ridings. 

Prince George-Valemount advance voting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

  • Oct. 15 to 21 - Columbus Community Centre - 7201 Domano Blvd., Prince George
  • Oct. 15 to 21 - Elks Hall - 172 Holdway St., McBride 
  • Oct. 15 to 21 - Golden Years Lodge - 1300 Main St., Valemount
  • Oct. 15 to 21 - Our Saviour's Lutheran Church - 3590 Dufferin Ave., Prince George
  • Oct. 15 to 21 - Prince George Civic Centre - 808 Canada Games Way, Prince George

Prince George-Mackenzie advance voting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

  • Oct. 19 to 21 - Christ Our Saviour Church Hall - 4514 Austin Rd. W, Prince George
  • Oct. 17 to 18 - Mackenzie Secondary School - 500 Skeena Dr., Mackenzie 
  • Oct. 15 to 17 - Prince George Family Worship Centre - 3400 Hart Hwy., Prince George
  • Oct. 15 to 21 - Trinity United Church - Spruceland Area - 3555 Fifth Ave., Prince George

Voters can also cast a ballot at a district electoral office now until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Offices will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.