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Why Is There A B.C. Election And Everything Else You Need To Know

After weeks of speculation, cryptic candidate announcements and tight-lipped officials, the ballot box is out of the bag — British Columbians are heading to the polls on Oct. 24.

The snap provincial election is the third in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, following the recently concluded New Brunswick election and the ongoing Saskatchewan race.

B.C. Premier John Horgan made the announcement from his home riding in Langford Monday, arguing that it was time for voters to give his government a new mandate.

“It’s never a bad idea to say to British Columbians, who do you want to lead you and where do you want to go,” he told reporters Monday.

B.C. Premier John Horgan speaks during a press conference in Langford, B.C., on Monday Sept. 21, 2020.
B.C. Premier John Horgan speaks during a press conference in Langford, B.C., on Monday Sept. 21, 2020.

But for many British Columbians, the election comes as a surprise, considering the province wasn’t set to go to the polls until next fall, according to a signed agreement between Horgan’s minority government and the Green Party. Throw in the global pandemic and concerns of accessibility for voters during the provincial state of emergency, and it’s a heck of a time to head to the ballot box.

But that’s what British Columbians will do on Oct. 24. Here’s what you need to know about the snap election and why it’s happening now.

When was the election scheduled to happen?

The 2017 provincial election resulted in an unprecedented result, with Horgan’s NDP taking 41 seats and the B.C. Liberal Party winning 43 seats. The Green Party won three seats, and entered into an agreement to prop up a minority NDP government.

That agreement, the Confidence And Supply Agreement (CASA), dictated that the Greens would vote with the NDP on all votes of confidence, typically throne speeches and budgets. On all other issues they would vote on their own.

Under CASA, both the NDP and Green agreed not to trigger an election until the next scheduled date, which was set for the fall of 2021.

Why is B.C. having an election now?

Last week ahead of election speculation, Horgan argued that the CASA was developed during a very different time,...

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