There are two elections running simultaneously with numerous voting days for each, making ‘election worker’ a new option for those in the Okanagan gig economy.

Most municipalities stopped taking applications for election officials weeks ago, but there’s still time to answer Elections BC’s call for the provincial election.

Municipalities are responsible for organizing their own elections, while Elections BC handles provincial voting.

The City of Kelowna hired roughly 300 election workers at day rates ranging from $320 for an election official to $550 for a presiding election official.

The City of Penticton was hiring election workers at the slightly less lucrative hourly rate of $25.10 or roughly $300 for 12 hours at the polls.

Election officials are working on the general election day on Oct. 17, but some of them are working additional days at the advance polls.

Kamloops and Vernon didn’t have any information about compensation for election workers on their websites.

Kelowna and Penticton stopped taking applications for election officials in August, around two months before election day. Elections BC is on a much tighter schedule.

Elections BC needs to hire around 17,000 election officials around the province by Oct. 24.

Provincial election workers will get between $329 per day to $460 per day depending on the role, not including paid classroom time.

To help facilitate the provincial election you need to be at least 15 years old and legally be allowed to work in Canada.

Election workers also need a valid email address and access to a computer to complete the online training before the classroom portion of the training.

Election officials are expected to work the full 15 hour election day, from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.

You can apply to be an Elections BC official here.