The British Columbia Liberal Party membership will pick a leader to replace Premier Gordon Campbell on Feb. 26, 2011.

The leadership vote will happen ahead of the party's convention, re-scheduled for May 13 and 14 in Penticton, the party's provincial executive decided.

“Discussions of how ballots are to be cast are ongoing and an announcement will be made at a later date,” said a statement the party released last night.

An extraordinary convention scheduled for Feb. 12 in Vancouver will first decide whether or not to adopt a weighted voting system to “give every region of the province an equal say.” The measure will require the approval of two-thirds of delegates.

According to the BC Liberal Party's constitution, spokesperson Chad Pederson said, each constituency association may select up to 20 delegates for the Feb. 12 convention. Riding association presidents and MLAs are also automatically included, he said.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.