When it comes to voter turnout in the November 19 election, Bowen Island has province-wide bragging rights.
The turnout was 83.77 per cent, the highest in B.C. In some cases it was more than 60 per cent higher than other areas.
The numbers come from Civicinfo BC and while preliminary, results do not change dramatically when the final tally is in. Bowen, classified as B.C.'s only island municipality, is listed at Civicinfo BC with an estimated 2,292 eligible voters. Only 372 of them didn't vote.
Tahsis, a community on the west coast of Vancouver Island, had the second highest turnout, 82.31 per cent. Tahsis has only 260 voters, with 214 voting. A large majority of communities that had 60 per cent and above voter turnout had under 1,000 eligible voters.
On the lower end of the scale, the city of Langford near Victoria had only a 13.98 per cent voter turnout, with 2,826 casting ballots out of an estimated 20,219 eligible voters. Other low turnouts included Chilliwack, a 17.56 per cent turnout, and 18.56 per cent in Port Coquitlam. Turnout in Vancouver was 34.57 per cent, in West Van 24.53 per cent, and in Victoria, 26.35. In Gibsons, 57.27 per cent of voters turned out while in Smithers it was 66.72 and 27.17 per cent of Nanaimo's electorate voted. The overall provincials turnout numbers are: of 2,709,760 eligible registered voters 799,592 ballots were cast equalling a 29.51 per cent turnout.
The 2008 municipal election saw 1,457 Bowen voters cast a ballot out of 2,125 registered voters for a 68.56 per cent turnout.
