District of Hope

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Local government elections are held every four (4) years on the third Saturday in October for the election of Mayors and Councillors. The District of Hope Council is comprised of one (1) Mayor and six (6) Councillors. The next general local election will be held in 2026.

The Chief Election Officer and Deputy Chief Election Officer are appointed by Council and responsible for conducting the election.

Information listed below is general to local government elections. Notifications specific to the next election will be placed in accordance with the Local Government Act as required. Be sure to watch the local newspaper and our web site for required notifications.

DO I QUALIFY TO VOTE?

You can vote in a municipal election, as a resident elector, if you:

• are a Canadian citizen
• are 18 years or older on voting day
• have lived in BC for six (6) months before voting day;
• are not disqualified by the Local Government Act or any other enactment or by law from voting

Section 64 (3) of the Local Government Act states that no corporation is entitled to be registered as an elector or have a representative register as an elector and no corporation is entitled to vote.

AM I A RESIDENT ELECTOR OR NON-RESIDENT ELECTOR?

Resident Electors - if you own and live at the property or rent property within the District of Hope municipal boundaries, you are a resident elector and you must meet the above noted qualifications.

Non-Resident Electors - if you own property within the District of Hope but live outside the municipal boundaries, you are a non-resident elector. To qualify you must:

• be 18 years or older on voting day;
• be a Canadian citizen;
• be a resident of BC for at least six (6) months before voting day;
• not be eligible to register as a resident elector in the jurisdiction;
• be a registered owner of real property in the jurisdiction for at least thirty (30) days before the day of registration;
• only register in relation to one (1) piece of property;
• only have one (1) person nominated to vote on the piece of property; if more than one person owns the property, that person must have the written consent of the majority of the other owners; and
• are not disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or be otherwise disqualified by law from voting

VOTER REGISTRATION

For the purposes of all elections and other voting, the District of Hope offers voting day registration only; a person may register as an elector only at the time of voting.

MAIL BALLOT VOTING

A person wishing to vote by mail ballot shall apply by giving their name and address to the Chief Election Officer or Deputy Chief Election Officer for such purposes. Mail ballots can be picked up or they will be mailed to the elector.

ADVANCE VOTING

The District of Hope will hold two (2) Advance Voting opportunities.

SPECIAL VOTING OPPORTUNITY

Special Voting Opportunity is for electors who may otherwise be unable to vote at advance voting or on general voting day.

The only electors who may vote at a Special Voting Opportunity on the date when the opportunity is held are those voters who are residents of Fraser Canyon Hospital, Park Street Manor and Riverside Manor, or those who have been admitted as patients of the hospital.

Dates and times will be set by the Chief Election Officer.

WHAT IDENTIFICATION IS VALID?

Electors will be required to produce 2 pieces of identification (ID), at least one with a signature. The identification must prove both residency (street address) and identity. If the ID cannot prove residency the elector may sign a "Declaration of Residency".

Some suggested pieces of acceptable ID are:

• Provincial Voters Card
• BC Driver's Licence &/or BC Identification Card
• Government ID Cards
• Passport
• Citizenship Card issued by Citizenship & Immigration Canada
• Car Insurance Documents
• BC Health Card
• Credit Card
• Social Insurance Card
• Property Tax Notice
• Utility Bills

AUTOMATED VOTING MACHINES

As part of our commitment to continually improve services for our residents, the District of Hope will again use Automated Voting Machines for balloting in the upcoming general local election. This technology will be used to elect Mayor, Council, School District 78 Trustees, and Assent Voting on one simple, consolidated ballot.

With this method, electors simply fill in spaces to mark their choices, similar to the way provincial final exams or driver learner’s permit tests are administered. The machine then scans and ‘interprets’ the ballot. In the event a ballot is spoiled, it will be immediately identified, allowing the voter to recast their vote or have the ballot accepted as is.

FAST, SIMPLE AND ACCURATE

The machines read standard paper ballots that are retained in accordance with Provincial legislation as proof of the validity of the election process.

Easy to use: 

1. Mark the ballot by using the black pen provided to fill in an oval next to the candidate’s name.

2. Insert ballot into machine.

3. The machine checks and tallies the ballot and notifies the voter of the following:

• Rejected ballot due to too many marks, allowing the voter to recast;
• No voting marks, allowing the voter the option to correct their ballot; or
• Voter has the option to allow the machine to accept the ballot as is.

THINKING OF RUNNING FOR OFFICE

Qualifications for Office:

• will be, on general voting day, 18 years of age or older;
• Canadian citizen;
• resident of BC for at least 6 months prior to the date of nomination;
• not disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from being nominated for, elected to or holding the office, or otherwise disqualified by law;
• a person or the commander of an armed forces unit who has been granted freedom of the municipality, if that person is a Canadian citizen

Helpful Resources/Information: 

The Province of British Columbia provides information on the following at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/governance-powers/general-local-elections

• Local Elections in B.C.: What Every Candidate Needs to Know
• Candidate's Guide to Local Government Elections in B.C.
• Elector Organization Guide to Local Government Elections in B.C.
• Guide to Supporting a Candidate for Local Government Elections in B.C.
• Voter's Guide to Local Elections in B.C.

Legislation:

• Community Charter
• Financial Disclosure Act
• Local Elections Campaign Financing Act
  -Local Elections Campaign
• Local Elections Statutes Amendment Act
• Local Government Act
  - BC Regulation 380/93 (Local Government Elections Regulation)
• Offence Act

Elections BC provides information on the following at: https://elections.bc.ca/local-elections/who-does-what-in-local-elections/

Local Elections Campaign Financing

• Campaign Organizers
• Candidates
• Elector Organizations
• Third Party Sponsors
• Guides and Resources

For further information on the District of Hope election process, please contact:

Branden Morgan, Deputy Corporate Officer
bmorgan@hope.ca

Phone: 604-869-5671
Fax: 604-869-2275