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Local Elections & Voting

2022 Local Election Information

Elections  |  Nominations  |  Electors  |  Voting Opportunities  |  Mail Ballot Voting

On October 15, 2022 all British Columbians will be heading to the polls to vote for municipal, regional district and school district candidates.

On this page you will find information on candidate eligibility, candidate nominations, local elections legislation and additional video resources.

If you are looking for general information regarding rules around campaigning, election financing, etc. please visit the Elections BC website.

Elections

Elections for positions on regional boards, municipal councils and school districts are held throughout the Province of B.C. every fourth year on the third Saturday in October.

By-elections are held as necessary to fill vacancies occurring from time to time.

Referenda & Other Voting

Voting may occur with respect to bylaw approvals or to seek the opinion of electors on a particular proposal.  Voting processes of this kind may be held at any time and may be restricted to a particular geographical area.

Electors – Voting Eligibility

A person may be entitled to be registered as an elector and vote in local elections and other voting opportunities if they:

  • are a Canadian citizen;
  • will be at least 18 years of age at the time of voting;
  • have resided in BC for 6 consecutive months immediately prior to seeking registration as an elector;
  • have owned real property in the voting jurisdiction for 30 days prior to registration OR are a resident of the voting jurisdiction;
  • are not under sentence for an indictable offense or currently in custody or in prison;
  • have not been found guilty of an election offense;
  • have not been disqualified under the Local Government Act or any law in force in BC.

Non-Resident Property Electors

A person who owns real property in a voting jurisdiction but doesn’t reside there, may be eligible to register as a non-resident property elector and vote in that area.

If a property has more than one registered owner a majority of the owners must decide who is entitled to vote for that property.

Property which is registered in a corporate name cannot quality for elector registration or voting.

How to Register

The Regional District uses the Provincial List of Electors as the basis for its list of qualified electors.  In 2022 the version of the Provincial List of Electors that exists on August 17, 2022 will be downloaded by the SRD and made available for public scrutiny.  Changes resulting from that process will be incorporated into the Regional District’s list of electors as will any non-resident property electors who have registered to vote in the upcoming elections.

Electors can register to vote at any voting opportunity if not already on the list of registered electors.  The deadline to be added to the list of registered electors in advance of the 2022 elections is August 15, 2022. Contact the Regional District for more information.

To register to vote or for more information on the Provincial Voters list, please visit Elections BC website.

Voting Opportunities

GENERAL VOTING DAY

On general voting day, Saturday, October 15, 2022 polls will be open to qualified electors between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. at various locations with the Strathcona Regional District

Qualified electors may vote at the polling location of their choice but may not vote more than once.

ADVANCE VOTING OPPORTUNITIES

Advance voting opportunities for electors of Electoral Area A (Kyuquot/Nootka-Sayward), Electoral Area C (Discovery Islands-Mainland Inlets) and Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay–Buttle Lake)  are available as follows:

Wednesday, October 5, 2022 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Strathcona Regional District office, 990 Cedar Street, Campbell River, B.C.

Thursday, October 13, 2022 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Strathcona Regional District office, 990 Cedar Street, Campbell River, B.C.

Mail Ballot Voting

The SRD allows voting by mail ballot as an option for any qualified elector who prefers to use this form of voting instead of voting in-person at a polling station.

The mail ballot option includes several safeguards to ensure public confidence in the voting results including:

  • Applications for a mail ballot will be subject to the same documentary requirements for verifying elector identity and residence location as in-person voting.
  • All mail ballot applications will be accessible by scrutineers before a ballot is provided to the applicant. This will allow challenges of an elector’s right to vote in accordance with the Local Government Act.
  • Once a mail ballot has been provided to an elector, that elector will be disqualified from receiving a ballot at any other voting location.

In some circumstances, the use of the mail ballot option will also be extended to other types of voting such as referenda, assent voting and by-elections. Voters will still be able to vote in-person at any authorized polling station if they so choose.

 

Local Elections Legislation

Video Resources

The following are links to short videos you may wish to review for further information:

Publications

  • Candidates Guide to Local Elections
  • Elector Organization Guide
  • Campaign Financing in BC for Candidates & Financial Agents Guide
  • Local Elections 3rd Party Sponsors in BC Guide
  • Director Resource Guide (not yet available)
  • Excerpts from the Local Government Act

Nominations – Running for Office for the SRD

All electoral area directors will be elected to a four-year term of office starting in 2022.  Municipal directors are appointed to the Regional District Board at the pleasure of their respective councils.

Any Canadian citizen who is eligible to vote in the Province of BC is qualified to run for election as an electoral area director.  Candidates do not need to own property in the area, however, they must have resided in BC for the last six months in order to qualify.

Nomination Packages Submitted

Electoral Area A

Electoral Area B

Electoral Area C 

Electoral Area D

Nominations – Running for School Trustee – SD 72

School trustees sit on a board of education to govern a local school district through strategic planning, policy setting to support the strategic plan, and monitor student progress throughout their term. They represent the communities within the school district by acting as a collective interface between the public and school district management. Trustees operate at a governance level to ensure that the management of facilities and the educational requirements of students are provided in a progressive and educationally sound manner.

The Strathcona Regional District will conduct school board trustee elections on behalf of the Campbell River School District for the following areas:

  • Electoral Area 1 (Greater Campbell River – 5 seats)
  • Electoral Area 2 (Sayward Valley – 1 seat)
  • Electoral Area 3 (Discovery Islands: Quadra, Cortes & Read – 1 seat)

Nomination Packages Submitted

Area 1

Area 2

Area 3

Election Financing

Elections BC administers campaign financing, disclosure and election advertising rules under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. Elections BC does not administer voting or candidate nominations for local elections. For more information, see Who Does What in Local Elections.

See Election Financing Calendar > 

Employment Opportunities

The Strathcona Regional District is inviting applications for the following election official positions:

  • Presiding Election Officials
  • Alternate Presiding Election Officials
  •  Election Officials

The above noted positions will supervise or assist with voting and ballot counting processes at assigned voting places for the General Local Elections and/or General School Elections being held in October.

To be considered for placement as an election official, individuals should have previous experience in federal, provincial or municipal elections. Successful candidates will be required to complete a training session and make an oath of office before taking up any election duties. Persons who have a financial interest or other interest in the outcome of the vote will not be considered.

Application forms are available below or by contacting the offices of the Strathcona Regional District at elections@srd.ca

Election Official Application Form

Election Official Job Description

Presiding Election Official Job Description

Alternate Presiding Election Official Job Description

For More Information

Please contact the Regional District at 250-830-6700 or by email administration@srd.ca.