Employee rights on election day: British Columbia Provincial Election 2024

This resource will help you understand your voting rights as an employee in British Columbia when you cast your ballot in the provincial election and exercise your civic duty.

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When is the next provincial election in B.C.?

The 43rd provincial general election in B.C. takes place on October 19, 2024.

Who can vote in B.C.? 

Employees in B.C. can vote if they are:

• A Canadian citizen
• At least 18 years of age
• A resident of British Columbia for at least six months
• Not disqualified from voting

Can I take time off work to vote in the B.C. election?

British Columbia’s Elections Act states that employees who are qualified to vote have the right to take up to four consecutive hours free from work to vote during advance voting or on General voting day within polling hours.

This arrangement allows someone enough time to travel between work and the appropriate polling station.

When an employer doesn’t need to give time off

An employer does not have to give an employee time off to vote if the employee has four consecutive hours outside of their work schedule to do so.

In British Columbia, advance polling hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the day of the election.

• Example 1: If an employee works from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., their employer does not need to give them time off work, because the employee has more than four hours after work to vote.
• Example 2: If an employee works from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., their employer must give them enough time off so that the employee has four consecutive hours to vote. Because an employer can decide when an employee takes time off, the employer can allow the worker to leave at 4:00 p.m., giving them four hours from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to vote.

Who decides when I can take time off to vote?

Your employer may select which hours you take off to cast your vote in the British Columbia general election.

A company can choose the hours that are most convenient for the business.

Do I get paid time off to vote?

Employees in British Columbia are guaranteed up to four consecutive hours of paid time off work to vote.

Your employer can’t refuse to pay you for this time. It is also illegal for your employer to penalize you for asking for time off to cast a ballot.

Can my employer refuse to give me time off work to vote?

If your employer refuses to provide four consecutive paid hours off for voting purposes or penalizes you for requesting it (by reducing your pay, for instance), they will be in violation of the Elections Act.

Failure to comply with section 74 of the Elections Act is an offence and, upon conviction, the employer can be penalized with a fine of up to $10,000 per violation, or imprisonment for up to one year, or both.