Next Friday, August 5, 2011, is the final day Elections BC will be accepting ballots for the HST referendum. And ballots must be received by Elections BC by that date, not just post marked by that date. So if you have not yet mailed your ballot, today would be a good day to do so. Or drop it off at the Service BC Centre in Cranbrook, where it will be forwarded.

The extension to August 5 was agreed to by Elections BC because of the postal interruption during the referendum period.

Meanwhile, it's tough to say just how the referendum will go.

Both Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald (NDP) and likely Liberal candidate Doug Clovechok have been out and about talking to people. Both say it's hard to get a real good read on how it will go.

"It's always a bit difficult in terms of people you talk to," Macdonald said. "They might just be reinforcing what they've heard me say and I've certainly made no secret of how I feel. In this area, for a number of reasons like the fact we're a border region, and the impact of the HST on tourism and second home purchases, I'm pretty sure there will be a strong yes vote. But the rest of the province is more difficult to judge."

Clovechok says that no matter how people vote, he hopes they do it with solid research behind them, not emotion.

"A lot of people I've spoken to, who initially would have voted yes, did the research and changed their minds," he said.

"People's minds are changing but there is still a lot of emotion out there. They are still mad at Gordon Campbell. But he's not here anymore. He has a job out of the country. We need to forget about the way it was handled - we should have done better but we have to get past it. We need to get rid of that emotion and look at it calmly and rationally. It's a good tax. I think it's the way to go.

"Don't' vote with emotions. Base it on facts, not because you're pissed off at Gordon Campbell."

Predictions?

"If I'm a betting man I'd say the HST will remain, but it certainly won't be a huge majority."

Clovechok says that if you listen to the leadership debates currently underway in Alberta, many candidates are talking about a provincial sales tax in their platforms, and there's no doubt in his mind it will evolve into an HST.

Bottom line, he says, is taxes are required to fund the services the province provides.

"We need taxes. If the HST is rejected, it's not going to go back to the way it was. The government will have to take a good long look at what is taxed under the PST."

Unacceptable, Macdonald says.

"If the Yes side wins it has to be honoured, including going back to the PST the way it was. Anything else would be against the intent of the people voting yes."