British Columbians are being reminded to double-check their voting dates and polling locations as two separate elections take place just one week apart, while North Island residents also have an opportunity to hear directly from provincial candidates at a debate in Campbell River Friday evening.

Local government elections are scheduled for Saturday, October 17th, while the provincial election takes place the following Saturday, October 24th.

With advance voting for the provincial election beginning Friday, October 16th, voters will have opportunities to cast ballots in both elections over the same weekend.

Some municipal candidates have reported encountering voters who are mixing up the two election dates.

Saturday's local government elections will determine who serves as mayors, municipal councillors, regional district directors and school trustees in communities across British Columbia.

The provincial election, meanwhile, will determine who represents each electoral district in the BC Legislature.

Provincial Advance Voting Underway

Provincial advance voting runs from October 16th through Wednesday, October 21st, with polling locations open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on their scheduled voting days.

Not every advance voting location will operate on every day.

In Campbell River, the Coast Discovery Inn is among the designated provincial advance voting locations.

In the Comox Valley, voters can cast provincial advance ballots at the former Leeward Liquor Store location on Anderton Road in Comox.

Both locations are scheduled to operate throughout the six-day advance voting period.

The overlapping schedules mean some residents may choose to vote in their local government election and cast an advance ballot in the provincial election on the same day.

However, voters should be aware that the two elections are administered separately and may require visits to different polling locations.

North Island Candidates Debate Friday Evening

North Island voters will also have an opportunity to hear directly from provincial election candidates at an all-candidates debate Friday evening at Campbell River's Tidemark Theatre.

The event is being co-hosted by the Campbell River and District Chamber of Commerce, Campbell River Mirror and Tidemark Theatre Society.

All four North Island candidates are advertised as participants:

• Anna Kindy — Conservative Party of BC
• Sara Lopez — BC NDP
• Benjamin Olsson — BC Green Party
• Richard Lambert — Independent

The debate will provide an opportunity for candidates to discuss issues affecting North Island communities ahead of the provincial election.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the debate running from 7 until 9 p.m.

Admission is free, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Residents unable to attend in person can watch the debate live through the Tidemark Theatre website.

A recording is also expected to be available Saturday on the Campbell River and District Chamber of Commerce's YouTube channel.

The event follows Thursday evening's Courtenay–Comox all-candidates forum at North Island College, which focused on business and economic development.

Voters Encouraged to Plan Ahead

Elections BC is encouraging residents to review their Where to Vote cards or visit its website to confirm the dates, hours and locations available for provincial voting.

Eligible voters can cast their provincial ballots at any provincial voting location in British Columbia.

Information about Saturday's local government elections, including polling locations and voter eligibility, is available through individual municipalities and regional districts.

Residents can find provincial election information at elections.bc.ca.

With two important elections happening so close together, voters are encouraged to plan ahead, confirm their polling locations and make sure they're heading to the correct voting station for each ballot.