Voting Structure

How Board Voting Works

The number of votes to which a municipality, first nation or electoral area is entitled is determined by population, letters patent and the Local Government Act. For every 1,500 persons or portion thereof, an area is allowed one vote. If an area has more than 5 votes a second director can be seated at the Board table and so on, for every 7,500 population.

When an area has more than one director, the allowable number of votes must be divided amongst its directors as evenly as possible. The results of these calculations can be seen on the following chart.

Voting Strength for Regional Districts  – Populations certified by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing under sections 196 and 197 of the Local Government Act as per the definition in the Schedule to the Community Charter, effective November 1, 2017.

Population includes people residing on Indian Reserves and boundary extensions to December 31, 2016.

Directors are only entitled to vote on matters for which the area they represent has a vested interest. Typically this will include general corporate matters as well as services for which the area contributes financially.