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Oct. 15 civic elections: Who can vote and what you need to bring

The next general local elections in British Columbia are on Oct. 15, 2022. You can vote in civic elections if you live in a municipality or own property there.
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Advance voting means a trip upstairs at Victoria City Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018.

Who can vote in the Oct. 15 civic elections

You can vote in civic elections if you live in the municipality or own property there.

Resident electors (people who live in the municipality) must be:

• A Canadian citizen

• 18 years of age or older on day of registration

• Resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately before the day of registration

• Resident of the municipality on the day of registration

• Not disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election and not otherwise disqualified by law

Non-resident property electors (persons who own property in the municipality but do not reside in the municipality) must be:

• A Canadian citizen

• 18 years of age or older on day of registration

• Resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately before the day of registration

• Registered owner of real property in the municipality for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration

• Not disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election and not otherwise disqualified by law

• If there is more than one registered owner of the property, only one of those individuals may, with the written consent of the majority of the owners, register as a non-resident property elector

• A person cannot vote on behalf of a corporation, or as a non-resident property elector, based on a property owned wholly or in part by a corporation.

Students

Students who attend an educational institution in a jurisdiction different from their usual place of residence may vote only once — either where they attend school or in their usual place of residence.

How to vote in B.C.'s civic elections

To cast a ballot, you need to be a registered voter. Voters in some municipalities received voter cards in the mail. If you received one, take it with you when you vote, along with identification.

If you are a new or unregistered voter, or are unsure whether you are on the voters list, bring two pieces of identification that prove who you are and where you live, one of which must include your signature. Check with your local government to see what identification is required to register.

Here are some suggestions:

• B.C. driver’s licence

• B.C. identification card

• Photo B.C. Services Card

• Certificate of Indian Status as issued by the Government of Canada

• Non-photo B.C. Services Card

• Student card issued by a post-secondary institution

• Owner’s Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence issued by ICBC

• B.C. CareCard or B.C. Gold CareCard

• Social insurance card

• Canadian Citizenship card

• Statement of employment insurance benefits

• B.C. government cheque

• Income tax assessment notice

• Canadian Forces identification

• Old Age Security identification card

• Canadian passport

• Birth certificate

• Credit card or debit card or statement

• Utility bill 

— Source: Government of B.C.