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Vancouver advance voting smashes record with 103,000 ballots ahead of Saturday election
The City of Vancouver announced on Oct. 15 that advance voting in the 2026 municipal election set a record, with more than 103,000 ballots cast over four days — about 60% more than in 2022; general voting day is Saturday, Oct. 17, with 85 voting places open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Why it matters
The City of Vancouver announced on Oct. 15 that advance voting in the 2026 Vancouver municipal election set an all-time record: more than 103,000 ballots were cast over four advance voting days, roughly 60% more than the 65,127 advance ballots in 2022. General voting day is Saturday (Oct. 17), with 85 voting places across the city open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; anyone in line at 8 p.m. will still be able to vote.
The numbers
Day-by-day figures show 21,824 ballots on Oct. 3, 25,142 on Oct. 7, 27,748 on Oct. 10 and 29,096 on Oct. 13, for a preliminary total of about 103,810. Vote-by-mail requests also doubled to more than 21,000, up from 10,523 in 2022. The city says consistently short wait times were reported, thanks to more voting places, staff and technology. The election's estimated budget is C$9.4 million — more than double the C$4.41 million spent in 2022 — with the expanded advance voting cited as a key cost driver.
How to vote Saturday
Voters can find voting places, eligibility and accessibility details at vancouver.ca/vote. Some locations are shared with Elections BC advance voting for the Oct. 24 provincial election, and those sites may be busier than usual; the city encourages voters to use its Where to Vote tool to find a shorter visit.
The race
Incumbent mayor Ken Sim (ABC Vancouver), seeking a second term, and Green Councillor Pete Fry are seen as the main rivals. Other candidates include Sim's former chief of staff Kareem Allam (Vancouver Liberals), two-term councillor Rebecca Bligh (Vote Vancouver) and former councillor Colleen Hardwick (TEAM) — all rejecting the "spoiler" label.
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