B.C. Election 2017: 60% of voters cast their ballot, preliminary numbers show

Elections BC says preliminary estimates indicate the voter turnout in the 2017 provincial election was 60 per cent.

In 2013, 57 per cent of registered voters cast their ballots.

Elections BC says the estimate is based on the number of voters registered as of the close of general voter registration on April 11, the number of valid votes and rejected ballots cast at advance and general voting and the preliminary estimate of absentee ballots in certification envelopes cast during the election.

A more accurate estimate of voter turnout will be released after the conclusion of the final count, which will take place between May 22 and May 24.

READ MORE: Over 176,000 absentee ballots to be counted by May 24

Advanced voting 

B.C. saw a record-shattering 614,389 people cast their ballots in advance of the election, almost double the number who did so in 2013.

The data from Elections BC show just about one in five registered voters headed to the polls early this year while advanced voting was open from April 28 to May 6, two days longer than in 2013.

It is the largest number of advanced voters recorded since Elections BC began tracking the data in 1996.

READ MORE: B.C. advanced voter turnout soars by almost 70 per cent over last election

Cost

Elections BC says the 2017 provincial election will cost the taxpayers $44,466,000, budgeted for over three fiscal years from 2015 to 2018. In contrast, the total election expenses in 103 were $34,808,125

— With files from Jill Slattery