British Columbians are voting in 161 municipal elections on Saturday, with 21 contests in Metro Vancouver alone drawing much of the attention.
In Vancouver, incumbent Mayor Ken Sim of ABC Vancouver faces eight challengers, including former councillor Colleen Hardwick, current councillor Rebecca Bligh, Sim's former chief of staff Kareem Allam, and the Green Party's Pete Fry, the lone continuing opposition councillor of the last four years. Public safety and Sim's plebiscite on drug use have dominated the policy debate.
In Surrey, B.C.'s second-largest city, Mayor Brenda Locke is seeking a second term against six challengers, including former mayor Doug McCallum and two-term councillor Linda Annis. Locke's handling of the transition to the Surrey Police Service, which she fought in an unsuccessful lawsuit, has been a central issue.
CBC followed seven Metro Vancouver mayoral races with debates over the past two months and is carrying an election-night special as results come in. Advance voting for B.C.'s separate provincial election has also begun, adding to a busy ballot season in the province.
