Election 2026

Are you interested in running for Office?

Holding municipal office represents an significant time commitment and responsibility.  In addition to attending two Regular Council Meetings and two Regular Committee of the Whole Meetings per month, Council members will serve on various external committees, boards and commissions. It is essential that elected officials understand meeting procedures and are prepared to discuss and make decisions on agenda items.

Council is the governing body of the municipality and is responsible for the delivery of local services and making decisions for the betterment of the community. Elected officials are expected to conduct themselves with integrity, accountability, respect, and leadership and collaboration in a way that furthers a local government’s ability to provide good governance to their community.

In recognition of the time and energy they devote to their community, Council members receive the following annual remuneration:

Mayor = $47,314 (2026 rate)
Councillor = $18,899 (2026 rate)

Participation in the Town benefit plans (i.e. extended health, dental, group life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment) is also available to Council.

If you are interested in serving on Council, please attend the Candidate Information Session – to be announced.

Candidate Qualifications

Candidates running for the office of Town of Sidney MAYOR and COUNCILLOR and Saanich School District No. 63 SCHOOL TRUSTEE must meet the following qualifications:

• 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
• a Canadian citizen;
• a resident of BC for at least 6 months (March 10, 2026)  immediately prior to filing nomination documents; and
• not be disqualified under the Local Government Act, or any other enactment from voting in an election in BC or being nominated for, being elected to or holding office, or be otherwise disqualified by law.

Candidates must be nominated by two eligible electors in Sidney.  A prospective candidate officially becomes a candidate when they have submitted all the required information in the nomination package and has been declared a candidate by the Chief Election Officer.

Nomination Packages 

Nomination packages will be made available on this website and for pick up at Sidney Town Hall by the end of July.

Nomination Period  — Nomination documents must be filed with the Chief Election Officer at Sidney Town Hall from 9:00 am, Tuesday, September 1 to 4:00 pm, Friday, September 11, 2026 by:

Mail or drop off:    2440 Sidney Avenue, Sidney, BC, V8L 1Y7
Email:   admin@sidney.ca
Fax:   250-656-7056

Please refer to this webpage prior to the close of the nomination period for any updates or amendments.

Candidate Scrutineer 

Candidates may appoint scruitneers to observe the conduct of voting and counting proceedings.  One scruitneer (per used ballot box) is permitted to be in attendance on voting days.  Scruitneers must sign a declaration upon entering the voting place and must ensure not to disrupt or interfere with the voting proceedings.

Election Signs 

It is important for candidates to be familiar with the regulations respecting elections signs to avoid any bylaw infractions or election offences under the Local Government Act.

Town of Sidney Sign Bylaw No. 2058

• signs must not posted on public property
• signs must not exceed 1.5 square meters (4 x 4 ft) and may be posted on private property (upon approval of the property owner) after the candidate’s nomination documents have been filed with the Chief Election Officer, please refer to Sign Bylaw
• signs must be removed by the end of the day on Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Ministry of Transportation and Transit Policy 

• signs may be posted on provincial highway rights-of-way only during the campaign period, beginning on September 19, 2026, please refer to BC Ministry website
• signs must be removed by the end of the day on Monday, October 19, 2026

Signs on Voting Days

Pursuant to section 163 of the Local Government Act, a person must not canvass or solicit votes or display or post election advertising within 100 meters of a building where voting proceedings are being conducted at the time.

Election Campaign

Candidates developing election campaigns should be aware of the restrictions that may apply to campaigning and, in particular, the regulations under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act (LECFA). Elections BC is responsible for managing and enforcing financing disclosure requirements and election advertising provisions for all local government elections in BC.

A candidate must appoint one individual as a financial agent. If one is not appointed, the candidate is deemed to be their own financial agent. A financial agent must open one or more campaign accounts at a savings institution before incurring an election expense. This account must be used exclusively for the purposes of the election campaign.

Financial Disclosure Requirements

Candidates are required to make public an account of the campaign contributions they received and election expenses they incurred in the form of Campaign Financing Disclosure Statement. This statement must be filed within 90 days of General Voting Day. Statements will be made available on the Elections BC website for public inspection. A candidate who does not file their disclosure statements by the deadline may be disqualified from holding office and from being nominated for or elected to a local government office until after the next general local election.

Third Party Advertising

There are campaign financing rules for third party advertising sponsors. Third party advertising sponsor is an individual or organization that conducts election advertising independently from any candidate or elector organization. Third party advertising includes advertising for or against a candidate or elector organization.

Any questions regarding campaign financing and advertising are to be directed to Elections BC:

Phone:  1-800-661-8683

Email:   electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca

Campaign Financing Disclosure Statements from past elections available on Elections BC website.

Further information and resources available on:

BC Ministry website

Elections BC website

Education Ministry Website

Community Charter

Local Government Act -Part 3 – Electors and Elections

The Town uses the Provincial List of Electors for voting purposes. Please contact Elections BC to confirm if you are registered:

Phone: 1-800-661-8683

Email:  electionsbc@elections.bc.ca

Voter Qualifications 

You can vote in the Town of Sidney election if you are a resident of Sidney (“resident elector”), or own property in Sidney even if you don’t reside in Sidney (“non-resident property elector”).

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

• 18 years of age or older on general voting day for the election;
• a Canadian citizen;
• a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration;
• a resident of the Town of Sidney; and
• not disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or assent voting and not otherwise disqualified by law.

To vote as a NON-RESIDENT property electors, you must meet the following requirements:

• 18 years of age or older on general voting day for the election;
• a Canadian citizen;
• a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration;
• a registered owner of real property in the Town of Sidney for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration;
• the only persons who are registered owners of the property, either as joint tenants or tenants in common, are individuals who are not holding the property in trust for a corporation or another trust;
• not entitled to register as a resident elector in the Town of Sidney;
• not disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or assent voting and not otherwise disqualified by law; and
• 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 may register as a non-resident property elector only in relation to one parcel of real property in a municipality.  If the property is under joint or multiple ownership, only one individual may vote upon written consent of a majority of registered owners on title.

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 Services Card*
– BC identification Card
– a document certifying registration under the Indian Act
– a citizenship or membership card issued by a First Nation
– a citizenship card issued by Metis Nation BC
– a Citizenship Card
– Social Insurance Number (SIN)
– ICBC Certificate of Insurance
– tax notice
– credit card or debit card
– utility bill (water, electrical, gas)

*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
– if applicable, written consent of a majority of the registered owners on title
– two pieces of identification as listed above for resident electors

Further information and resources available on:

Elections BC website

BC Ministry website

The Town provides all eligible electors the opportunity to vote by mail ballot.

In order to receive a mail ballot, electors will need to submit an application form to the Chief Election Officer at Sidney Town Hall by:

Mail or drop off:   2440 Sidney Avenue, Sidney, BC, V8L 1Y7
Email:   admin@sidney.ca
Fax:   250-656-7056

Mail ballot packages will be distributed as soon as the ballots are available (tentatively September 28, 2026).

Voters are responsible for ensuring their completed ballot and documents are received by the Chief Election Officer (including any costs if returning the ballot by mail or delivery service).

To be counted, your completed mail ballot MUST be:

• received by the Chief Election Officer by 4:00 pm on Friday, October 16, 2026,  at Sidney Town Hall (2440 Sidney Avenue).
  OR
•  hand delivered to the Chief Election Officer by 8:00 pm on General Voting Day on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Mary Winspear Centre (2243 Beacon Avenue).