*Updated Tuesday 6 a.m. to reflect Sunday numbers

The trend of more people voting before election day is growing.

Around 11,000 Central Okanagan residents turned out Saturday and Sunday to place an advance vote in the 2017 provincial election.

, 琉璃神社-Lake Country saw 3,772 of an eligible 46,477 voters turn out. 琉璃神社-Mission had 3,479 of 45,884 and 琉璃神社 West had 3,749 of 46,852.

Penticton, which covers Peachland, saw 4,029 of 43,980 voting.

Across the province 231,034 of an eligible 3,156,991 voters cast a ballot on the first day of advance polls.

It鈥檚 a significant figure when stacked up against the total advanced polling numbers of the last two elections.

Elections BC reports that in 2009 there were 290,220 voters who showed up to vote in advance of the actual election. The following election, in 2013 366,558 voted early.

Although advance polling participation appears to be up, it doesn鈥檛 indicate what鈥檚 to come, said Hamish Telford, a professor of political science at the University of the Fraser Valley.

鈥淧olitical parties over the last decade have made a concerted effort to push people toward advance polls,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 big get-out-the-vote effort has been made in campaigning.鈥�

Telford explained that party members contact their supporters in advance of the actual election and prompt them to vote. Although they can鈥檛 guarantee how they vote, he said, knowing a potential supporter has gone to the polls before election days mean they can be crossed off the call list come election day.

And that鈥檚 pretty much all that happens.

鈥淲e speculated a few years ago when we saw this rise in advance polling that it would lead to higher voter turnout, but it was actually lower,鈥� said Telford.

While polling stations may not offer any insight into what鈥檚 to come, Telford has a few ideas.

鈥淢y own hypothesis is that the presence of the Greens in this election, puts the NDP for the first time ever in the middle of the political spectrum, that might make the NDP less scary to moderate liberals,鈥� he said, adding that it could see Liberals lose some of their support. If that鈥檚 the case, it鈥檚 the NDP that will benefit most.

Telford added that it鈥檚 hard to say, because the Greens have never had such a high profile in a provincial election and he attributes that to BC Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver.

鈥淗aving a member in the legislature, he鈥檚 kept them on the map for the last four years,鈥� he said.

鈥淗e has done well as a provincial leader the same way that Elisazbeth May has done for the federal party,鈥� he said.

There鈥檚 just a week until the election, and there are six more days of advance polls.

How to vote early

All advance polling stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and voters can cast their ballots at any advance voting location. All locations are wheelchair accessible.

Voters must show identification to cast a ballot鈥攂oth at advance polls and on general election day, and that can include a B.C. drivers licence, B.C. Identification Card or B.C. Services Card (all with a photos) or a Certificate of Indian Status.

An alternative is to show two pieces of identification, both with your name on them and at least one with your current address on it. Examples of documents that will be accepted include government-issued documents such as CareCards, both certificates, passports, citizenship certificates and B.C. Services Cards, along with non-government documents with your address printed on them such as your 鈥渨here to vote鈥� card, utility bills and even a bus pass.

Voters without any identification can have a registered voter vouch for them at the poll.

For a full list acceptable documents, and information about where to vote, how to vote and other election-related issues, go to the Elections BC website at electionsbc.ca.