Vancouver doubles civic election budget to $9.4M for expanded voting
The city will triple advance voting locations, increase polling stations, and boost accessibility measures ahead of the October 17 election after April 2025 by-election lineups drew criticism.
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Vancouver is doubling its civic election budget to $9.4 million to expand voting capacity and prevent a repeat of the hours-long lineups that frustrated voters during the April 2025 by-election.
The expanded operation is set for Saturday, October 17, 2026, when voters will elect a mayor, 10 city councillors, seven park board members, and nine school board trustees. The new budget nearly triples the $4.41 million spent in 2022.
The city plans to increase voting locations from 82 in 2022 to 87 in 2026, while "supercentre" locations with more space and staffing will rise from 68 to 83. Advance voting will expand dramatically: while advance voting days decrease from five to four (October 3, 7, 10, and 13), the number of advance voting locations will nearly triple from 22 to 60 each day.
In 2022, 171,494 ballots were cast, representing 36.3 per cent turnout at about $26 per voter. The April 2025 by-election cost $1.6 million for 67,962 ballots cast, or about $24 per voter, despite the long waits.
City staff noted the $9.4 million figure is comparable to the roughly $10 million Elections BC spent on provincial general election operations within Vancouver's municipal boundaries. The budget does not include a contingency fund for unexpected costs.
The expansion aims to address feedback from voters and media criticism over accessibility and wait times. Larger facilities and more advance voting locations should reduce bottlenecks on election day.