Liberal party scrutineers are challenging the proof of residency submitted by some University of B.C. students attempting to vote in Premier Christy Clark’s riding.

A get-out-the-vote campaign sponsored by the New Democratic Party of B.C. brought about a dozen students by bus to the Elections B.C. district office on West Broadway last Wednesday in the riding of Vancouver-Point Grey to vote to cast advance ballots.

But when fourth-year geography and political science student Quinn Runkle tried to use a printout of her university account proving she lives in Acadia House on UBC campus, her residency credentials were challenged by Liberal party members acting as “candidate representatives.”

Runkle, who originally hails from the Sunshine Coast, eventually voted, but “in their minds I had insufficient documentation,” she said.

“It seemed the B.C. Liberals were trying to dissuade us or make it a more uncomfortable experience. Certainly made it a more uncomfortable experience for me,” Runkle said in an interview, adding she worried some other students “would walk away from the poll that day and maybe wouldn’t come back.

“I definitely do see it as problematic.”

Runkle said many of her peers find voting information vague and often difficult to understand, which adds to the frustration of those who are frequently forced to vote outside their home ridings because of exams, travel and summer jobs. Runkle is staying in Vancouver for the summer to work but her permanent address is her family home.

In a post on the UBC website, district electoral officer Jan Pierce reminded students to bring a piece of ID and proof of residency. Digital or electronic documents like e-bills and certain online profiles are now considered acceptable, according to Elections B.C. spokesman Don Main.

“That was challenged by a couple of people observing the voting on behalf of one of the candidates in the riding,” he said, confirming that candidate was the premier.

No other instances of challenges have been recorded during advance voting, but the scrutineers were present when the 10 UBC students arrived on a city bus escorted by NDP volunteers and NDP MP Olivia Chow.

David Eby, the NDP candidate in the riding, lost to Clark by 564 votes in the 2011 byelection and has been pursuing the student vote as a way to avoid repeating that kind of outcome. In particular, the 564 Votes campaign at UBC is encouraging university students to vote in advance, since the school term ends before the May 14 election and some young people will be unwilling or unable to vote, especially if leaving the province for the summer. (Out-of-province students are eligible to vote if they’ve lived in B.C. for six months.)

Liberal party communications officer Sam Oliphant said the party’s scrutineers had concerns about whether a screen shot is unreliable proof of residency.

“We asked for clarification about what would constitute an acceptable proof of residency and whether a screen shot of a residency page or simply showing a smartphone image would be something (Elections B.C.) would accept,” he wrote in an email, adding university transcripts or proof of registration were more commonly used.