Nearly 104,000 people voted early in Vancouver’s civic election during the entire four-day advance voting period, with the final advance voting day — Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026 — setting another all-time, single-day turnout record for early voting.
The City of Vancouver’s preliminary figures released this evening show 29,096 people attended the polls on Oct. 13, completing a run of four consecutive record-breaking advance voting days.
Participation climbed steadily throughout the advance voting period, from 21,824 on Oct. 3 to 25,142 on Oct. 7 and 27,748 on Oct. 10, before reaching Oct. 13’s new high.
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The preliminary counts of the four advance voting days add up to 103,810 voters. According to the City, overall advance voting participation increased by approximately 60 per cent compared with roughly 65,000 voters in the 2022 civic election’s advance voting period.
Furthermore, the entire four-day advance voting turnout figure represents about 61 per cent of the 171,494 ballots cast in the entire 2022 civic election across mail-in voting, advance voting, and general voting day.
The City shared that voters reported quick visits to the polling stations during advance voting despite the significantly higher turnout.
The drastic turnout increase to date is likely due in part to the City’s significant expansion of advance voting locations. While the number of advance voting days decreased from five days in the 2022 civic election to four days in the 2026 civic election, the number of voting locations available each advance voting day has nearly tripled from 22 to 59 locations. Voters can conveniently cast their ballot at any location during advance voting and on the main voting day.
It is unclear whether the surge in advance voting will translate into higher overall turnout in Vancouver’s civic election. The overlapping snap provincial election campaign may have also drawn greater public attention to both elections, while exponentially expanded advance voting locations may have encouraged people who normally vote on the civic election’s main voting day to cast their ballots earlier.
Another factor relates to increased voter interest from the addition of the public safety plebiscite attached to this civic election. Two non-binding public safety plebiscite questions seek the views of voters on enhancing enforcement against the use of hard drugs in public spaces, and urging the provincial government to create a secure medical treatment facility for people with severe mental health and addictions issues.
Moreover, a higher turnout can sometimes signal a desire for a change in government. However, the unusual additional factors shaping this year’s civic election make it extremely difficult to draw that conclusion from advance voting figures alone.
There is now one final opportunity to vote in Vancouver’s civic election.
The civic election’s main voting day is Saturday, Oct. 17, when 85 voting locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vancouver voters can choose any voting location in the city.
Voters with mail-in ballot packages must ensure their completed ballots are received at one of the City’s designated drop-off locations by 8 p.m. on Oct. 17 to be counted.
Map of City of Vancouver’s voting locations for the October 2026 civic election during advance voting days and civic election day. (City of Vancouver)
In Vancouver’s civic election, voters will choose a mayor, city councillors, Vancouver Park Board commissioners, and Vancouver School Board trustees, and complete two separate plebiscites.
In addition to the non-binding advisory public safety plebiscite, they will also vote on capital plan plebiscite borrowing questions to fund new and upgraded facilities and infrastructure.
During the separate provincial general election, voters will choose the MLA for their riding, which will help determine which provincial political party forms provincial government. The general voting day for the provincial election is Saturday, Oct. 17, with advance voting taking place over a six-day period between Friday, Oct. 16 and Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Voting place sign for the City of Vancouver’s civic election. (Kenneth Chan)
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