2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite Voting Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2015

VICTORIA – The voting results for the 2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite were submitted today to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

According to section 282(1) of the Election Act, the purpose of a plebiscite is to determine the opinion of voters on a matter of public concern. Of the 759,696 ballots considered, the majority of validly cast votes were opposed to the question on the ballot.

The plebiscite question was:
Do you support a new 0.5% Metro Vancouver Congestion Improvement Tax, to be dedicated to the Mayors’ Council transportation and transit plan?

The final voting results are:
% of valid votes voting Yes   38.32%
% of valid votes voting No    61.68%

Municipality	Yes votes	Yes %	No votes	No %	Total valid votes
Bowen Island Municipality	847	61.92%	521	38.08%	1,368
City of Burnaby	24,355	35.06%	45,113	64.94%	69,468
City of Coquitlam	14,200	32.78%	29,120	67.22%	43,320
City of Langley	2,226	27.71%	5,807	72.29%	8,033
City of Maple Ridge	6,404	22.97%	21,470	77.03%	27,874
City of New Westminster	10,623	45.45%	12,748	54.55%	23,371
City of North Vancouver	7,931	44.92%	9,725	55.08%	17,656
City of Pitt Meadows	1,762	27.84%	4,568	72.16%	6,330
City of Port Coquitlam	6,346	32.15%	13,394	67.85%	19,740
City of Port Moody	4,852	42.61%	6,534	57.39%	11,386
City of Richmond	16,257	27.61%	42,615	72.39%	58,872
City of Surrey	42,519	34.46%	80,851	65.54%	123,370
City of Vancouver	103,431	49.19%	106,818	50.81%	210,249
City of White Rock	3,139	40.74%	4,566	59.26%	7,705
Corporation of Delta	11,589	32.16%	24,448	67.84%	36,037
District of North Vancouver	14,569	44.61%	18,093	55.39%	32,662
District of West Vancouver	6,876	44.11%	8,711	55.89%	15,587
Metro Vancouver Electoral Area “A”	1,586	58.57%	1,122	41.43%	2,708
Township of Langley	9,890	25.03%	29,619	74.97%	39,509
Tsawwassen First Nation	86	33.99%	167	66.01%	253
Village of Anmore	303	37.88%	497	62.13%	800
Village of Belcarra	158	52.15%	145	47.85%	303
Village of Lions Bay	202	34.71%	380	65.29%	582
Totals	290,151	38.32%	467,032	61.68%	757,183
Rejected ballots					2,513
Total ballots considered					759,696

Beginning March 16, 2015, Elections BC mailed a 2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite voting package to each registered voter in Metro Vancouver. As of the May 15, 2015 deadline to register to vote and ask for a voting package, there were 1,562,386 registered voters in Metro Vancouver. A total of 798,262 ballot packages were returned, representing 51.09% of the total registered voters. 38,393 ballot packages were not considered as they did not meet the requirements of the plebiscite Regulation.

Registered voters in Metro Vancouver midnight, Friday, May 15, 2015	1,562,386
Total number of ballot packages returned	798,262
Percentage of ballot packages returned	51.09%
Total number of ballot packages not considered	38,393
Total number of ballot packages considered (registered voters who voted)	759,869*
Percentage of registered voters who voted	48.64%

*759,869 ballot packages were considered. 173 ballot packages contained certification envelopes with either two or more ballots, or no ballot. In accordance with the Regulation, these envelopes were resealed and set aside.

The Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite – March 16-July 2, 2015 is expected to be published in September 2015 and will describe the activities Elections BC undertook to administer the plebiscite, voting results by municipality and a statement of Elections BC’s expenses.

For more information, visit the Elections BC website at elections.bc.ca.

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Contact:
Don Main
Communications Manager
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca
Website: elections.bc.ca

Elections BC is an independent, non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for administering electoral processes in British Columbia in accordance with the Election Act, Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, Recall and Initiative Act and Referendum Act.