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Transit plebiscite office opens in Burnaby

Burnaby residents now have a place to go if they're having trouble voting in the transit plebiscite. Elections B.C. announced today that it's opening nine plebiscite service offices in the region, including one at Lougheed Town Centre.

Burnaby residents now have a place to go if they're having trouble voting in the transit plebiscite.

Elections B.C. announced today that it's opening nine plebiscite service offices in the region, including one at Lougheed Town Centre.

The office will be open during mall hours, but closed on Sundays and holidays.

The offices are there for those who need services in person or have not received their ballots.

Voters can go to the offices to register to vote, update their information, receive information on how to vote and ask for a voting package until May 15.

Completed ballot packages can also be dropped off at the offices until 8 p.m. on Friday, May 29.

About five per cent of Burnaby's registered voters have sent in their transit plebiscite ballots, according to Elections B.C.

Results are only in for five cities thus far - Coquitlam, Richmond, Surrey and Vancouver are the others.

As of April 8, 7,595 Burnaby residents out of 143,780 registered voters had sent their ballots in. Metro Vancouver residents are voting on whether to accept a 0.5 per cent increase to the provincial sales tax to help fund 10 years' worth of transit projects. The 10-year transit plan would cost $7.5 billion, and additional work would bring the final total to $7.7 billion over 15 years.

The plan includes building a new Broadway subway line, adding more B-line bus routes and replacing the Pattullo Bridge.

Regional mayors are campaigning for a Yes vote alongside the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition. Jordan Bateman and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation are heading the No Transit Tax campaign.

In total, 124,927 ballots were sent in by April 8, from eight per cent of registered voters in Metro Vancouver.

Those who have not received a ballot package should call 1-800-661-8683 or go to elections.bc.ca/ovr.

Voters have until May 29 to drop off or mail in their ballots.