Last Chance: Transit Referendum Deadline

If you have lost, spoiled, or trashed your transit ballot in a moment of frustration, tomorrow is officially the last day to request a new one from Elections B.C.

As of May 13, 39.5% of registered voters have returned their ballot packages. Traditionally, the mail-in voting system follows a predictable trend: a large proportion of efficient voters return their ballots in the first two weeks, then a lapse follows, when people forget about their civic duty, concluded by a panicked rush resulting in a voting spike in the two weeks leading up to D-day.The last comparable vote in the province can be found in the HST referendum of 2011, which saw 52.7% of registered voters have their say. In keeping with the traditional mail-in pattern, nearly half of these returns were submitted during the last two weeks. With the deadline for this year’s transit referendum on Friday, May 29 – two weeks away – it remains to be seen whether the silent 13% will put their cards on the table (or more accurately, in the mailbox).The 2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite asks residents whether they are for or against a 0.5% increase of regional sales tax (approximately $7bn) to fund the Mayors’ Council Transportation and Transit Plan. To request a replacement ballot, visit elections.ba.ca.