Municipal Government

2022 Local ElectionsCouncil Strategic PlanCouncil Meetings Council Agendas Council Minutes Annual ReportsBylaws & PoliciesReports & Community Planning DocumentsMajor Initiatives

Information for Candidates

Home  /  Municipal Government  /  2022 Local Elections  /  Information for Candidates

THINKING OF RUNNING FOR LOCAL OFFICE?

Nomination and Endorsement Packages

The District of Houston has prepared nomination and endorsement packages for prospective candidates which includes information regarding specific background information on becoming a candidate, the local election and resources. The nomination and endorsement packages are ready for pick-up at the District Office from August 2, 2022 to September 9, 2022.

The District of Houston Election Procedure Bylaw can be found here: # 1104 - Procedures of Conduct of Local Government Elections and Other Voting (2018)

A reference guide for nominees can be found here: District of Houston Elected Officials Reference Guide

*Nomination Period/Package Filing Deadline
Completed nomination packages with the accompanying endorsement package (if applicable) must be delivered by hand to the local Chief Election Officer at the District of Houston Municipal Office: 3367-12 Street Houston, BC between Tuesday August 30, 2022 at 9:00 A.M. and Friday, September 9, 2022 at 4:00 P.M. The deadline for filing your nomination package is Friday, September 9, 2022 at 4:00pm.

Questions and Answers

Question: What type of information must be disclosed in the financial disclosure act?
Answer: Elections BC - Disclosure Factsheet

Question: Can a nominee sign as a nominator for another nominee?
Answer: Yes, but a nominee cannot sign as a nominator for their own package. See part 2 of the Local Government Act: Local Government Act: Part 3

Question: What are the regulations on signage for the 2022 Local Government Elections?

Answer: Refer to the Province of BC Candidates Guide to Local Elections in BC states that "Signs play a significant role in election advertising. Candidates may have supporters display signs on their behalf in windows, on lawns, or post signs in other public places throughout the jurisdiction. Local governments have the authority to regulate the size, placement, maintenance and removal of signs and other forms of public advertising – the rules may be quite different between local governments. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure regulates sign placement along Provincial highways, medians, bridges and along major roadways. Contact the local government or local Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure office before placing election campaign signs on medians, bridges or along major roads."

The District of Houston has a development bylaw regulating sign requirements, see Sign Requirements - Development Bylaw #1040. In addition, on voting day, relation to Local Government Act voting proceedings, a person must not do any of the following at or within 100 metres of a building, structure or other place where voting proceedings are being conducted at the time (see Municipal Office - 100m No Campaign Zone):
(a) canvass or solicit votes or otherwise attempt to influence how an elector votes;
(b) display, distribute, post or openly leave a representation of a ballot marked for a particular result in the voting;
(c) post, display or distribute
(i) election advertising, or
(ii) any material that identifies a candidate or elector organization, unless this is done with the authorization of the chief election officer;
(d) carry, wear or supply a flag, badge or other thing indicating that the person using it is a supporter of a particular candidate, elector organization or result in the voting.

Question: When are candidates allowed to set up campaign signs?

Answer: Signs may be put up any time after the election is called (for Highway 16), or at any time other than the Highways, but signs put up in the campaign period are subject to campaign expense limits. Please remove the day after voting day, and be familiar with General Voting Day requirements.
See Elections BC Advertising Summary

As per page 43 and 44 of Guide to Local Elections Campaign Financing in B.C. for Candidates and their Financial Agents : Where and when election signs may be placed
Elections BC does not regulate where and when signs may be placed However, local governments have the authority to regulate the size, placement, maintenance and removal of signs and other forms of public advertising Contact your local government for more information about election sign bylaws in your area. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure regulates sign placement on provincial highways. Signs must: -only be installed after the election is called (For Highway 16), and must be removed the next working day after General Voting Day.Signs not removed by the owners on the next working day following the election will be removed by maintenance contractors Maintenance contractors will invoice the owner of the signs for the cost of removal. Be further from the road than standard traffic signs, and must not obstruct, simulate or be attached to any traffic control device (such as signs, posts, polls)
-Not be placed on bridges, overpasses, tunnels or other highway structures. Please see Ministry of Transportation - Election and Referdum Signs on Highway Rights-of-Way

Campaigning restrictions on General Voting Day
An individual or organization must not transmit election advertising to the public on General Voting Day (GVD) except:

• election advertising on the Internet as long as the advertising was transmitted to the public before GVD and was not changed before the close of voting
• election advertising on the Internet as long as the advertising was transmitted to the public before GVD and was not changed before the close of voting
• advertising by means of signs, posters or banners
• distributing pamphlets
• advertising on the Internet that is for the sole purpose of encouraging voters to vote

Under LECFA, Elections BC is responsible for administering the campaign financing provisions and election advertising requirements for local elections and assent voting in BC. This includes overseeing campaign financing disclosure requirements, conducting investigations and enforcing campaign financing and third party advertising provisions set out in LECFA.

It is Elections BC’s responsibility to educate participants on the campaign financing and election advertising requirements set out in LECFA. This responsibility extends to by-elections and assent voting held by local authorities outside of the general local election cycle. Elections BC contact information should be kept on hand for ready access by the chief election officer, campaign participants and members of the public:

• Toll-free phone number: 1-855-952-0280
• Email: lecf@elections.bc.ca
• Website: www.elections.bc.ca/lecf

Elections BC has developed the following guides which are available in print and on the Elections BC website: Guide to Local Elections Campaign Financing in B.C. for Candidates and their Financial Agents
Guide to Local Elections Campaign Financing in B.C. for Elector Organizations and their Financial Agents

Basic information related to campaign financing and election advertising is contained in the Candidate's Guide to Local Elections in B.C. published by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. However, the Ministry will not answer questions about the campaign financing provisions in LECFA. Those questions must be directed to Elections BC.

Question: When are candidates allowed to post to social media, can this happen before campaign period?

Answer: Candidates may post to social media regarding their campaign before campaign period begins. The only difference is that costs incurred by social media DURING CAMPAING PERIOD advertised must be included in the expense limits and sponsorship requirements set out for this period. Free social media posts have no limit, as they do not incur costs. Please also be familiar with General Voting Day requirements.

Question: Can an elector vote for less candidates than positions without spoiling the ballot?

Answer: (According to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing): After an elector meets the requirements under section 125 for receiving a ballot, he or she may cast a vote for a candidate or candidates. The elector may mark the ballot by making a cross in the blank space opposite the name of the candidate or candidates for whom the elector wishes to vote. There is no requirement in the Local Government Act for an elector to vote for a certain number of candidates. According to section 130(4)(e), however, if a ballot contains more marks than candidates to be elected than this ballot must be considered rejected.

Question: Can a spouse/family member be an Election official?

Answer: (According to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) LGA section 58 states that a candidate, candidate representative or financial agent may not be appointed as an election official. Before being hired, it is important that local governments ask applicants if they are associated with a campaign. A relation of a candidate is permitted to be an election official as long as he or she is not a candidate, candidate representative or financial agent. The election worker would have to take a declaration before assuming duties that he or she will remain impartial. In practice, I believe that many local governments do not hire potential election workers with a connection to a candidate but this is at the discretion of the local government.

As such the District of Houston is of the position that a family member of an candidate cannot be objective in their duties, and poses a clear conflict of interest for the duties of an election official. Therefore the District will not be employing Election Officials with a clear conflict of interest.

IF YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE OR WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON THE NOMINATION PROCESS, THE ELECTION PROCESS, OR THE DISTRICT OF HOUSTON OPERATION IN GENERAL, PLEASE CALL THE FOLLOWING PERSONS AT THE DISTRICT OF HOUSTON OFFICE AT 250-845-2238.

• Madelaine Swift, Deputy Director of Corporate Services/Chief Election Officer; or
• Michael Dewar, Chief Administrative Officer/Deputy Chief Election Officer

Eligible to Run for Local Government Office

In order to be eligible to run for local government office, a person must have been a resident of BC at least six months before filing their nomination documents. In addition, a person must:

• Be 18 years of age or older on General Voting Day;
• Be a Canadian Citizen;
• Have been a resident of BC for at least six months prior to the date of nomination (residency is defined in the Local Government Act Section 67) and;
• Not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from being nominated for, being elected to or holding office; or, be otherwise disqualified by law.

If the person nominated is someone who has been granted freedom of the municipality (does not apply to regional districts), that person must be a Canadian Citizen.

In accordance with the Public Service Employment Act of Canada, federal employees who want to run for local government office must apply to the Public Service Commission for permission.

Disqualified from Running for Local Government Office

A person is disqualified from running for local government office if he or she falls within any of the following categories:

• Is a judge of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, or Provincial court;
• Is an employee of the local government for which the election is being held, unless the requirement of the Local Government Act Section 82 are met;
• If running for office of regional district electoral area director, is an employee of a member municipality of that regional district, unless the requirements of the Local Government Act Section 82 are met and;
• If running for office of mayor of councillor, is an employee of the regional district of which that municipality is a member, unless the requirements of the Local Government Act Section 82 are met.

Restrictions to Run for Local Government Office

A person cannot:

• Hold more than one elected office in the same local government;
• Be nominated for more than one elected office in the same local government; or
• Be nominated for or elected as school trustee for more than one trustee electoral area in any one school district.
However, a person can hold elected office in more than one local authority if they’re different authorities (e.g., a person could be a municipal councillor and a school trustee).

Election Offences
As per Division 18 of the Local Government Act , elections offences are as follows:

Vote buying (Section 161)

• (1) In this section, "inducement" includes money, gift, valuable consideration, refreshment, entertainment, office, placement, employment and any other benefit of any kind.
• (2) A person must not pay, give, lend or procure inducement for any of the following purposes:
• (a) to induce a person to vote or refrain from voting;
• (b) to induce a person to vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular candidate;
• (c) to reward a person for having voted or refrained from voting as described in paragraph (a) or (b);
• (d) to procure or induce a person to attempt to procure the election of a particular candidate, the defeat of a particular candidate or a particular result in an election;
• (e) to procure or induce a person to attempt to procure the vote of an elector or the failure of an elector to vote.
• (3) A person must not accept inducement
• (a) to vote or refrain from voting,
• (b) to vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular candidate, or
• (c) as a reward for having voted or refrained from voting as described in paragraph (a) or (b).
• (4) A person must not advance, pay or otherwise provide inducement, or cause inducement to be provided, knowing or with the intent that it is to be used for any of the acts prohibited by this section.
• (5) A person must not offer, agree or promise to do anything otherwise prohibited by this section.
• (6) A person prohibited from doing something by this section must not do the prohibited act directly, indirectly or by another person on behalf of the first person.

Intimidation (Section 162)

(1) In this section, "intimidate" means to do or threaten to do any of the following:

(a) use force, violence or restraint against a person;

(b) inflict injury, harm, damage or loss on a person or property;

(c) otherwise intimidate a person.

(2) A person must not intimidate another person for any of the following purposes:

(a) to persuade or compel a person to vote or refrain from voting;

(b) to persuade or compel a person to vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular candidate;

(c) to punish a person for having voted or refrained from voting as described in paragraph (a) or (b).

(3) A person must not, by abduction, duress or fraudulent means, do any of the following:

(a) impede, prevent or otherwise interfere with a person's right to vote;

(b) compel, persuade or otherwise cause a person to vote or refrain from voting;

(c) compel, persuade or otherwise cause a person to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate.

(4) A person prohibited from doing something by this section must not do the prohibited act directly, indirectly or by another person on behalf of the first person.

Other Election Offences (Section 163)

(1) In relation to nominations, a person must not do any of the following:

(a) contravene section 87 (4) [unqualified candidate consenting to nomination];

(b) before or after an election, purport to withdraw a candidate from an election without authority to do so or publish or cause to be published a false statement that a candidate has withdrawn;

(c) before or after an election, purport to withdraw the endorsement of a candidate by an elector organization except as provided in section 95 (b) [withdrawal of endorsement on ballot].

(2) In relation to voting, a person must not do any of the following:

(a) vote at an election when not entitled to do so;

(b) contravene section 124 (1) [each elector may vote only once] regarding voting more than once in an election;

(c) obtain a ballot in the name of another person, whether the name is of a living or dead person or of a fictitious person;

(d) contravene section 123 (2) [requirement to preserve secrecy of the ballot] regarding the secrecy of the ballot.

(3) In relation to ballots and ballot boxes, a person must not do any of the following:

(a) without authority supply a ballot to another person;

(b) without authority print or reproduce a ballot or a paper that is capable of being used as a ballot;

(c) without authority take a ballot out of a place where voting proceedings are being conducted;

(d) put in a ballot box, or cause to be put in a ballot box, a paper other than a ballot that the person is authorized to deposit there;

(e) interfere with voting under section 112 [use of voting machines] contrary to the applicable bylaw and regulations;

(f) without authority destroy, take, open or otherwise interfere with a ballot box or ballots.

(4) In relation to voting proceedings, a person must not do any of the following at or within 100 metres of a building, structure or other place where voting proceedings are being conducted at the time:

(a) canvass or solicit votes or otherwise attempt to influence how an elector votes;

(b) display, distribute, post or openly leave a representation of a ballot marked for a particular result in the voting;

(c) post, display or distribute

(i) election advertising, or

(ii) any material that identifies a candidate or elector organization, unless this is done with the authorization of the chief election officer;

(d) carry, wear or supply a flag, badge or other thing indicating that the person using it is a supporter of a particular candidate, elector organization or result in the voting.

(5) In relation to any matter or proceeding to which this Part applies, a person must not do any of the following:

(a) provide false or misleading information when required or authorized under this Part to provide information;

(b) make a false or misleading statement or declaration when required under this Part to make a statement or declaration;

(c) inspect or access under this Part

(i) a list of registered electors,

(ii) nomination documents,

(iii) disclosure statements or supplementary reports, or

(iv) other election materials referred to in section 143 [delivery of election materials to chief election officer],

or use the information from any of them, except for purposes authorized under this Act;

(d) be present at a place where voting or counting proceedings are being conducted, unless authorized under this Part to be present;

(e) interfere with, hinder or obstruct an election official or other person in the exercise or performance of his or her powers, duties or functions under this Part or the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act.

(6) A person who is an election official must not contravene this Part with the intention of affecting the result or validity of an election.

Local Elections Legislation
BC Laws - Local Government Act
BC Laws - Local Elections Campaign Financing Act
BC Laws - Community Charter
BC Laws - School Act (School District Trustee Election)
BC Laws - Offence Act

Additional Resources
Elections BC -A Candidates Guide to Local Government Elections
Elections BC - Guide for Candidate Representatives
Elections BC - Advertising Guidelines for Incumbent Candidates in the 2022 General Local Elections
Government of British Columbia - Thinking About Running for Local Office?
Government of British Columbia - General Elections 101
Government of British Columbia - What Every Candidate Needs to Know
Government of British Columbia - Foundational Principles of Responsible Conduct
Visit elections.bc.ca for a full list of Elections BC Local Elections Forms

Characteristics of Effective Locally Elected Officials

What is Local Government

Testing your Readiness for Local Office

Local Government Decision Making

Roles and Responsibilities of Elected Officials