As they say, vote as you please, but please vote.
Even Vancouver Canucks president Trevor Linden is encouraging the public to participate as part of a campaign by Elections B.C. to increase voter turnout.
“I vote,” says Linden. “Do you?”
There are many ways for you to cast your ballot this May 9 and help choose a new B.C. government.
First, check your Where to Vote card that you got in the mail a few weeks ago.
That will tell you the location of your assigned voting place.
Be prepared to bring your driver’s licence or B.C. identity card or two other pieces of ID, one of which at least has your current address.
If you’ve lost that card, go to elections.bc.ca/wtv to find where to vote.
Or, you can stop in, on any day until election day, and vote at your local district electoral office.
In Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, that’s 11910 – 207th St.
In Maple Ridge-Mission, it’s at 22718 Lougheed Hwy.
The boundary between the two ridings is roughly 224th Street. The downtown is split in two.
If May 9 (between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.) doesn’t work for you, there are other ways.
First, if you’re sick and you find it hard to get around, or you’re just not going to be in B.C. on voting day, you can vote by mail.
Go to http://elections.bc.ca/2017-general-election/requesting-a-vote-by-mail-package/ and request a Vote-by-Mail package, before 4 p.m. on voting day.
If you want to do your civic duty ahead of time, you can vote early and get it out of the way by making a trip to the advance voting polls.
Advance voting takes place: April 29 and 30; and May 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Hours are the same as general voting day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
And where can you do that?
The actual advance voting locations: in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, Eagles Hall, 23461 – 132nd Ave.; Golden Ears United Church, 22165 Dewdney Trunk Rd.; Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall, 12460 Harris Rd.
In Maple Ridge-Mission, the advance polls are: Fraserview Village Hall, 22610 – 116th Ave.; Ridge Meadows Seniors Society, 12150 – 224th St.; St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, 8469 Cedar St., (Mission).
You can vote in the 2017 provincial general election if you are a Canadian citizen, 18 or older on voting day, and a resident of B.C. for the past six months.
During the 2013 B.C., voter turnout in Maple Ridge-Mission was 58 per cent. In Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, it was 60 per cent.