100,242 Greater Victorians already voted. The leaders spent the week in Surrey anyway

Greater Victoria has already cast 100,242 advance ballots, and the party leaders spent the home stretch courting a different city entirely.

Elections BC reported 891,348 advance votes province-wide over six days, down more than 11% from 2024. That reverses a two-decade upward trend. Locally, Saanich North and the Islands led the region with 17,021 early ballots, followed by Victoria-Beacon Hill at 14,110. There are 352,170 registered voters in Greater Victoria, so about 252,928 could still vote when polls open Saturday.

While the Island banked ballots, David Eby and Lorne Doerkson both camped out in Surrey, where 10 ridings are in play. Eby held a rally near Surrey City Hall on Wednesday night and campaigned in Vancouver on Thursday. Doerkson pitched a "Surrey success plan" at a Newton convention centre, pinning his platform's 3.2% growth forecast on reviving forestry and LNG.

Eby accused the Conservatives of behaving "as if they've won" after Doerkson skipped media questions for a run of fundraisers, and the party confirmed Doerkson won't take questions on election night. The BC Greens, meanwhile, campaigned on the Island: Oak Bay-Gordon Head candidate Andrew Appleton announced a tuition freeze across all 25 public post-secondary institutions, including UVic, Camosun and Royal Roads.

Polls across the region are open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.