Canada Post strike could delay B.C.’s referendum

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – B.C.’s referendum on proportional representation kicks off next week, but an impending Canada Post strike could affect people’s ability to mail in their ballots.

Andrew Watson with Elections B.C. says if a strike prevents people from voting, the deadline could be pushed back.

“It’s possible that the Chief Electoral Officer could extend the dates of the voting period for the referendum if the situation at Canada Post develops in such a way that it would make it difficult for voters to meet the applicable deadlines,” he said.

RELATED: Postal union issues strike notices, could start rotating job action Monday

It wouldn’t be the first time this happened. A referendum on HST in 2011 was extended after what started out as rotating postal strikes turned into a full-blown lockout.

As for now, Elections B.C. is planning to move forward on schedule.

“It remains to be seen what the impact of that will be, but at this stage, we expect voting package delivery to start as scheduled next week,” he says. “We encourage voters to look for their voting package in the mail between October 22 and November 2.”

The referendum will be held by mail between Oct. 22 and Nov. 30.

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