Nominations and financial disclosure

Prospective candidates for local government office must be nominated, consent to the nomination, submit nomination documents, pay a nomination deposit (if applicable) and submit a financial disclosure statement that details their corporate and personal holdings to run for local office. Candidates can also be endorsed on the ballot by elector organizations.

Nominations

The nomination period is the only time during which the Chief Election Officer is permitted to accept nomination documents and deposits (where applicable) from nominees for office. The nomination period begins at 9:00 a.m. local time on the 46th day before general voting day and ends at 4:00 p.m. local time on the 36th day before general voting day.

Nominators

Prospective candidates for local government office must be nominated by at least two eligible electors from the election area where the person is seeking election. However, local governments with populations under 5,000 may require two or 10 nominators, and local governments with populations over 5,000 may require two, 10 or 25 nominators. A nominator must be eligible to vote in the jurisdiction as a resident elector or as a non-resident property elector.

To nominate a candidate for local office, a nominator must:

• Be 18 years of age or older when they register to vote or will be 18 years of age or older on general voting day
• Be a Canadian citizen
• Have been a resident of B.C. for at least six months before registering to vote
• Be a resident in the municipality or electoral area for which the nomination is being made, or in the case of a non-property resident property elector, own real property in the municipality or electoral area, for 30 days immediately before the day of registration
• Not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or be otherwise disqualified by law

Nomination documents

Nomination packages can generally be obtained from a local government's Chief Election Officer. The completed documents must be submitted back to the Chief Election Officer by the end of the nomination period.

Nomination documents include a solemn declaration from the prospective candidate that:

• They are qualified to be nominated, elected and to hold office
• They are or will be on general voting day for the election, 18 years of age or older
• They are a Canadian citizen
• They are not disqualified by the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election in British Columbia or from being nominated for, being elected to or holding the office, or be otherwise disqualified by law
• The information in the nomination package is true
• They fully intend to accept office if elected
• They are aware of, understand and intend to comply with the requirements and restrictions under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act

A prospective candidate may make the required solemn declaration before the Chief Election Officer when submitting their nomination documents to the Chief Election Officer or in advance before a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits for B.C. (such as a lawyer or notary public).

Candidates must also appoint a Financial Agent and may also appoint an Official Agent and Scrutineer(s) in their nomination documents. The candidate is their own Financial Agent unless they appoint another individual to the position.

A prospective candidate officially becomes a candidate when they have submitted all the required information in the nomination package, paid a nomination deposit (if applicable) before the end of the nomination period and have been declared a candidate by the Chief Election Officer.

Nomination deposits

Local governments may also require prospective candidates to pay a refundable nomination deposit of up to $100 when submitting their nomination documents. The deposit is refunded when the candidate files their campaign financing disclosure statement with Elections BC.​

• Contact the Chief Election Officer to determine the number of nominators and if a deposit is required

Access to nomination documents

The public may view a candidate’s nomination documents at the local government's offices during regular office hours from the time they are submitted to the local government until 30 days following the declaration of the election results. A local government may also make nomination documents available by other means, such as on its website.

Any updates made to nomination documents after the general local election or by-election results have been declared must be sent directly to Elections BC.

Challenge of nomination

An eligible elector, another nominee for office or the Chief Election Officer can challenge a prospective candidate’s nomination if they believe the nomination documents are incorrect or the person is not otherwise eligible to be nominated for office.

Nomination challenges must be made through an application to the Provincial Court. The application must briefly set out the facts upon which the challenge is based and be supported by an affidavit signed by the challenger.

• Learn more about challenging a nomination in provincial court

Withdrawing a nomination

Prospective candidates may reconsider and withdraw their candidacy during the nomination period and for seven days following the close of nominations. The prospective candidate must provide written notice of their withdrawal to the Chief Election Officer, and the Chief Election Officer must then remove the prospective candidate’s name from the ballot.

Elector organization endorsement

An elector organization can endorse a candidate on the ballot by submitting all the required information in the endorsement package during the nomination period.

Candidates endorsed by elector organizations must indicate their consent to the endorsement by providing their signature as part of the endorsement package submitted to the Chief Election Officer by the elector organization.

•  Learn more about elector organizations and candidate endorsement

Statements of financial disclosure

All candidates must complete a statement of financial disclosure in accordance with the Financial Disclosure Act at the time their nomination documents are filed with the local government. The disclosure statement details an elected official’s corporate and personal holdings and must be available for public inspection.

If elected, local officials such as the mayor must also file annual financial disclosure statements between January 1 and 15 each year, as well as when they leave their elected office. These statements differ from campaign financing disclosure statements, which candidates are required to file with Elections BC following a general local election or by-election.​

• Learn more about the statement of financial disclosure for local government candidates and elected officials