The next provincial election is on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. Candidates will be finalized by Sept. 28 and advanced voting begins on Oct. 10.
Here you’ll find all the information you need on the candidates, the parties and how to vote if you live in the Comox Valley. This voter guide will be updated with more links, stories and information as it becomes available, leading up to Oct. 19.
Which electoral districts or ridings cover the Comox Valley?
The Comox Valley straddles two different electoral areas — Courtenay-Comox and mid-island Pacific Rim.
The electoral area boundaries changed this year, as per recommendations made by the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission. Boundaries are periodically reassessed to account for population changes.
What does this mean for you? You may not be in the same riding you were in last year. You can double-check which electoral district you’re in by inputting your address into this Elections BC tool online.
What’s going on with BC United and the Conservative Party of BC?
At the end of August, BC United (formerly BC Liberal Party) leader Kevin Falcon announced he was suspending the campaign and withdrawing candidate nominations from his party. He encouraged people to support the Conservative Party of BC instead to avoid a split vote and prevent a BC New Democratic Party government.
However, you might still see candidates from the BC United party on your ballot. The party is still running a select number of candidates in the election to ensure the party is still registered should its membership wish to rebuild it in the future, CBC News reports.
Who are the Candidates?
Courtenay-Comox
- Brennan Day, Conservative Party of BC (Website)
- Arzeena Hamir, Green Party of BC (Website, social media)
- John Hedican, Independent (Website)
- Devin Howell, Independent (Website)
- Ronna-Rae Leonard, BC New Democratic Party, Incumbent (Website, social media)
Mid Island-Pacific Rim
- Adam Hayduk, Conservative Party of BC (Website, social media)
- Josie Osborne, BC New Democratic Party, Incumbent (Website, social media)
Your election questions, answered
The Discourse asked what questions you have for local candidates. Leading up to the election, we’ll be publishing their answers. We’ll add more stories — both from us and other news outlets — to this list as they are published.
- What B.C. election issues are top of mind in the Comox Valley?
- What are the Comox Valley candidates saying about health care?
- How do British Columbia’s three main parties compare on these election issues? – CBC News
- What are Comox Valley provincial election candidates saying about housing?
- Q&A: What do the Comox Valley’s provincial election candidates say about environmental issues?
Where can I find more information about the parties?
- Conservative Party of BC
- BC Green Party
- BC NDP
- BC United (campaign currently suspended)
How do I vote?
- If you are at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen and a resident of B.C. since April 18, 2024, you are eligible to vote. You don’t need photo ID to vote but you do need to prove your identity and address.
- You can vote by mail if you request a vote by mail package by 4 p.m., October 19, but Elections BC must receive your vote by mail package no earlier than Sept. 21 and no later than 8 p.m. on Oct. 19.
- Voting day is on Oct. 19, 2024. Advanced voting will be from Oct. 10 to 13 and Oct. 15 and 16, 2024. Advanced voting polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. More information on how to vote can be found on Elections BC’s website.
- Voters are entitled to four consecutive hours free from work to vote during advance polls or on election day. This doesn’t mean you’ll receive four hours off work, but that voters must have a four-hour period free from work during voting hours. Voting hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where can I vote?
Preliminary voting places for the 2024 provincial election are available online. You can find a list of advance voting places and election day voting places on the Elections BC website.
Resources for fact-checking:
The Elections BC website has resources for voters, including links to tools for fact-checking information, how to spot fraudulent websites and social media accounts and how to counter disinformation. Find those resources here.
The website also addresses false information about elections and the electoral process in the province.
Editor’s note, Sept. 12, 2024: Candidate Joshua Dahling is still listed on the Elections BC website as running for BC United. However, since it was announced that BC United party leader Kevin Falcon was suspending the party’s campaign, Dahling has not confirmed which party he will be running with, or if he will be running at all this election. We will update as more information becomes available.
Editor’s note, Sept. 16, 2024: This story was updated to include Adam Hayduk, Conservative Party of British Columbia’s MLA Candidate for Mid Island-Pacific Rim
Editor’s note, Oct. 1, 2024: A previous version of this story listed Joshua Dahling, formerly BC United, as a candidate for Mid Island-Pacific Rim. On Sept. 20, 2024, Dahling announced that he withdrew his candidancy for the election. The story has been updated with his name removed from the list of candidates.
