Local Elections

Each local government (municipality or regional district) is responsible for conducting its own general local election. Local governments may also conduct school trustee elections on behalf of boards of education. In West Vancouver, the municipality conducts elections for school trustees, for the West Vancouver Board of Education.

Elections BC is responsible for managing campaign financing disclosure requirements, investigations, and enforcing the campaign financing and third-party advertising provisions set out in the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. Elections BC's role also extends to by-elections and assent voting (referenda) held by local election authorities outside of the general local election cycle.

The Government of British Columbia, Local Government Branch, provides the following information:

Elections are the most direct way for the public to directly influence their local government. During the election process, candidates generally outline their platforms and objectives if they were to be elected. By choosing the candidates with the ideals and qualities that are most acceptable to the electors, citizens can directly influence the type of community where they reside or own property.

For detailed information for those considering running for elected office in BC, visit:

Province of British Columbia | General Local Elections Participants

Candidates are required to file financial disclosure statements when they file nomination packages, annually while in office and upon leaving elected office.

Candidates running for the office of mayor and councillors must meet the following qualifications:

• be 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
• be a Canadian citizen;
• have been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately prior to filing nomination documents;
• not be disqualified under the Local Government Act, or any other enactment from being nominated for, being elected to or holding office, or be otherwise disqualified by law.

Candidates running for the office of school trustee must meet the following qualifications:

• be 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
• be a Canadian citizen;
• have been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately prior to filing nomination documents;
• not be disqualified under the Local Government Act, the School Act, or any other enactment from being nominated for, being elected to or holding office, or be otherwise disqualified by law.

A local elections candidate is someone seeking election as a mayor, councillor, electoral area director, board of education trustee, Islands Trust trustee, park board commissioner, park board member, advisory council member, regional trustee or local community commissioner.

Generally, local elections candidates must be nominated by eligible electors and declared a candidate by the local Chief Election Officer.

Elections BC helps local elections candidates and their financial agents understand the rules under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. Among other requirements, local elections candidates must:

• Open a separate campaign account and use it for all financial transactions. If you have difficulty opening a campaign account at a savings institution, click here for a letter you can take to the institution that explains the legislated requirement.
• File a disclosure statement with Elections BC within 90 days after General Voting Day.

For more information about the rules, visit the Local Elections FAQs page on the Elections BC website.

Elections BC tools for local elections candidates and their financial agents

Local Elections Disclosure Information

Elections BC provides the following information regarding Local Elections Disclosure Information for Candidates, elector organizations, third-party advertising sponsors:

Under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, all candidates, elector organizations, third-party advertising sponsors and non-election assent voting advertising sponsors must file a disclosure statement with Elections BC.

A disclosure statement discloses all campaign contributions, election expenses, transfers, surplus funds and other transactions related to a local election or assent voting. Disclosure statements must be filed within 90 days after General Voting Day for a local election or assent voting. Disclosure statements may be filed for another 30 days (120 days after General Voting Day) but must be accompanied by a $500 late filing fee.

Searching disclosure statements and significant campaign contributors: the Elections BC Financial Reports and Political Contributions (FRPC) system contains scanned images of all disclosure statements (including amendments) filed with Elections BC under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, beginning with those filed for the 2014 General Local Elections. Please contact your local jurisdiction for information about disclosure statements for local elections that took place before the 2014 General Local Elections.

The FRPC system also includes information about contributors who, during a general local election or by-election, made campaign contributions with a value of $100 or more to a candidate or elector organization. Other information includes the date and value of each contribution and the class of the contributor. If the contributor is an organization, the names of two directors or principal officials are also disclosed.

Contributions made to third-party sponsors and non-election assent voting advertising sponsors are not campaign contributions as defined by LECFA and therefore are not included in the campaign contributions database.

Candidate resources

Local Elections Campaign Financing Act (LECFA)

Local Elections Campaign Financing Expense Limit Regulation 309/2016

Local Government Act

Community Charter

School Act

Elections BC

Elections BC – campaign financing disclosure statements

The Government of British Columbia, Local Government Branch, provides the following voter information:

In most provinces, the eligibility for voting in local government elections is limited to residents only. In British Columbia, residents can vote, as can persons that own property in a local government jurisdiction, even if they do not reside there. Further information about voter eligibility can be found in the Voter's Guide to Local Government Elections in BC (available in multiple languages).

Who can vote?

You can vote in the West Vancouver election for mayor and councillors, and school trustees if you are a resident of West Vancouver (“resident elector”), or own property in West Vancouver even if you don’t reside in West Vancouver (“non-resident property elector”).

To vote as a resident elector, you must meet the following requirements:

• age 18 or older on the day of registration or on general voting day for the election;
• Canadian citizen;
• resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration
• resident of West Vancouver for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration; and
• not disqualified from voting in an election or otherwise disqualified by law.

To vote as a non-resident property electors, you must meet the following requirements:

• age 18 or older on the day of registration, or on general voting day for the election;
• Canadian citizen;
• resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration;
• registered owner of real property in West Vancouver for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration;
• persons who are registered owners of the real property, either as joint tenants or tenants in common; and
• not disqualified from voting in an election or otherwise disqualified by law.

A person may register as a non-resident property elector only in relation to one parcel of real property in a municipality or electoral area.

Requirements to Vote for School Trustees

Requirements to vote for school trustees are the same as those for resident and non-resident property electors, except that the elector must be a resident or the registered owner of real property in School District 45 for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration. 

School District 45 includes: West Vancouver, Lions Bay, Bowen Island, and part of GVRD Electoral Area A (which includes part of the Gambier Island Local Area Trust).

Register to Vote or Update your Registration

You can check if you are registered to vote by visiting the Elections BC Online Voter Registration website.

If you are not on the Voters’ List, you can register at the above site online or update your information. You can also register as an elector at the time of voting in the West Vancouver election. For non-resident property electors, you can register when you vote by filling in an application.

Identification

To register to vote as a resident elector at the time of voting you will need two of the following identification documents showing residency and identity, and one must contain a signature:

• BC Driver’s Licence*
• BC identification Card
• BC Services Card*
• ICBC Registration
• Citizenship Card
• Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• tax notice
• credit card or debit card
• utility bill

*If you have a combined BC Driver’s Licence and Service Card, it counts as only one piece of identification.

To register as a non-resident property elector at the time of voting you will need proof of property ownership and identification:

• property tax notice/certificate
• property assessment notice from BC Assessment
• State of Title Certificate
• Title Search
• Certificate of Indefeasible Title
• if applicable, written consent of a majority of the registered owners on title
• two pieces of identification as listed above for resident electors

“The majority of ballots cast by eligible electors determines the successful candidate for a given office. For municipalities, eligible electors choose from a list of candidates to fill the councillor positions. The electors also choose from a separate list of candidates to fill the position of mayor. In regional districts, a candidate is elected from each electoral area to the regional board. Together the electoral area directors and appointed municipal directors from the municipalities within the regional district then form the board.  In instances where there are only as many candidates as there are positions available in the local government, no election is necessary as the candidates are automatically declared elected by acclamation.”

District of West Vancouver Legislative Services
604-925-7004

Elections BC
1-800-661-8683
Email
Website

Ministry of Education
250-356-1404
Email
Website