– Story by Patti Mertz
There will be a provincial election here in B.C. on Oct. 24th.
After weeks of speculation, Premier John Horgan announced the call today.
The NDP has been showing strongly in the polls, largely due to the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Elections BC says there will be advanced voting from Friday, Oct. 16th to Wednesday, Oct. 21st.
The agency is reminding voters they can cast a ballot by mail in a bid to reduce crowds at polling stations.
According to Insights West’s ‘Government of British Columbia Report Card’, released in the mid-summer, Horgan’s popularity as leader hit an all-time high.
The province’s pandemic response at the time was a big reason behind the massive jump in approval ratings for both the BC NDP and Horgan.
Pre-pandemic, Horgan’s approval rating was already strong, but it’s since skyrocketed 17 points in just seven months to 68 percent.
That was the highest level than for any political leader in B.C. since tracking began eight years ago.
