There were long lineups at Vancouver City Hall on Wednesday, for the first day of advanced voting in the upcoming municipal byelection.
Two seats on council are up for grabs, after former OneCity councillor Christine Boyle was elected as a provincial MLA and former Green councillor Adrianne Carr announced her retirement.
The outcome of the vote won’t shift the balance of power on council, where Mayor Ken Sim’s governing ABC party already holds a majority.
Leaked audio of Vancouver byelection candidate
ABC and former Vancouver councillor Colleen Hardwick’s TEAM are each running two candidates, while the Vancouver Greens, OneCity and COPE are each running one.
You can find a full list of candidates here.
Many in line urged others to get out and vote in the byelection, pointing to the importance of democratic participation in these unsettled times.
In Vancouver’s last council byelection, staged in 2017, just 11 per cent of eligible voters turned out.
Advance voting is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday March 26 and Tuesday April 1 at city hall only.
Voting locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. across the city on election day, Saturday, April 5.