Voters have been warned of “limited voting hours” at more than half a dozen B.C. polling stations Saturday, including three in Lorne Doerkson’s riding. There were seven locations impacted as of Thursday afternoon, according to Elections B.C.’s website, which indicated that “voting will be served by mobile teams” during various times in those areas. Those represent a small fraction of the more than 1,200 polling stations across the province, including approximately three dozen in the interim B.C. Conservative leader’s riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin. The three affected there—at the Edward Billy Community Centre, Dog Creek Community Hall and Tl’etinqox School—are related to “election official availability,” an Elections B.C. spokesperson told CTV News in a statement. The other four experiencing limited hours are located in Bulkely Valley-Stikine, at the Denetia Elementary School, Dease River Band Office, Kispiox Community Hall and Gitsegukla Health Centre. Five additional polling stations across the province are closed altogether, at the Halalt First Nation Gym in Cowichan Valley, Echen Deni Keyoh Hall in Prince George-North Cariboo, the Summit Lake Community Hall in Prince George-Mackenzie, and both the Shxw’ōwhámél First Nation Band Office gym and Battlefield Community Centre in Fraser-Nicola. Three opened late, at the Lax Kw’alaams Recreation Centre and Hagensborg Royal Canadian Legion in North Coast-Haida Gwaii and the Grassy Plains School in Nechako Lakes. The issues are due to different factors in different areas, according to Elections B.C. “In some voting locations we had limited staff availability, road closures and ferry delays, and access delays to voting locations,” the agency spokesperson told CTV News. Elections B.C. did not respond to a question about whether any of the problems are related to the fact a provincial election was not anticipated this month. The agency described foot traffic at polling stations as “steady” throughout Saturday. “We are seeing some voting places busier than others and encouraging people to vote before the close of polls,” the Elections B.C. spokesperson said Polls close at 8 p.m. PT, and results are expected shortly after.
