Premier John Horgan visited Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin in Victoria on Monday morning to advise her to dissolve the legislature, and told reporters at an 11 a.m. press conference she granted his request and thereby kick-started B.C.’s 42nd provincial general election.

“I’ve struggled mightily with this decision and it did not come easily to me,” said Horgan.

It is the first time in B.C. history that voters will go to the polls during a provincial state of emergency, which the NDP government first declared in response to COVID-19 on March 18.

British Columbians will vote about a month from now with advanced voting starting Oct. 16, according to Elections B.C.

 

Hamish Telford, a political scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley.  “The risk is considerable that voters may turn on Horgan and punish him for sparking an unnecessary election during a crisis.”

Source: Vancouver Sun