Elections

Candidates running for the office of MAYOR and COUNCILLOR 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 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.

Further information and resource material is available on the BC Ministry Website.

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 (toll-free in Canada and the United States)

Email: electionsbc@elections.bc.ca

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 identification Card
• BC Services 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
• 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