Register or face lengthy lineups, Elections BC warns

Last Updated: Sunday, April 19, 2009 | 3:56 PM PT

CBC News

Interested in cutting the amount of time you spend at your local polling station when it comes time to vote on May 12?

If you're among the estimated 300,000 British Columbia residents who aren't on the registered voters list, you have until Tuesday to sign up and avoid the lengthy lineups on voting day.

Residents who have either moved recently or are new to the province may need to get registered, Elections BC communications manager Ken Faris says, and that can be taken care of either by phone or online.

"We're saying it's the fast lane to voting if you get [registered] by April 21," Faris said. "Then you're going to receive your yellow where-to-vote card, which will tell you which electoral district you're in, what the voting places and voting times are for voting on advance voting or on general voting day."

Unregistered voters will be able to register and vote on election day as long as they bring proper photo identification. For more information on ID requirements, go to the Elections BC website at www.elections.bc.ca

In each of the past four elections, more than 200,000 voters have waited until they get to their voting place to register.