Elections

Read the Declaration of Official Election Results for the City of Victoria.

To work as an election official, you must:

• be 18 years old or older
• be legally entitled to work in BC
• attend a mandatory training session
• work on an advance voting day and/or on election day

There will be two hours of training. 

Interested? Email us with your name and contact information.

A person is qualified to be nominated, elected and to hold office as a member of local government if they meet the following criteria:

• Canadian citizen
• 18 years of age or older on General Voting Day
• a resident of British Columbia for at least six months before the day nomination papers are filed
• not disqualified under the Local Government Act, law or any other enactment from being nominated for or elected to hold office

View the Declaration of Candidates for the City of Victoria's 2022 Local Government Election.

Visit the Province of BC's website for more information.

Elections BC has helpful information for candidates.

In the 2022 Municipal Election, Victoria voters elected the following for a four-year term:

• one Mayor
• eight Councillors
• nine School Trustees (School District 61)
• three Capital Regional District (CRD) Directors

For voters with accessibility needs, we have services available to help you vote.

All advance voting places and general voting places are wheelchair accessible. Voters who can’t enter a voting place can vote at the curb or in the parking lot.

Help is available for voters unable to mark a ballot due to a physical disability or difficulty with reading or writing. Voters needing help to mark their ballot may bring another person or ask an Election Official for help. If they bring another person, the person will need to sign a declaration.
 

Anyone eligible to vote can request a mail ballot.

To receive a mail ballot, you need to complete and submit an application form.

You can also request a mail ballot by calling 250.361.0571

The City of Victoria uses the most current available provincial list of voters prepared by Elections BC. If you were listed on the Provincial Voters List, you should be on the City's List of Electors. 

Check to see if you are on the Voters List.

If you qualify as a resident elector but are not on the Provincial Voters List, then you may register:

• when you vote at Advance Voting, or on General Voting Day at the voting place
• when you vote by mail ballot

Two pieces of ID are required to register to vote. Please see "Identity Documents" below to know what to bring.

On voting day, bring  one piece of acceptable identification. Please see "Identity Documents" below for acceptable identification.

Victoria property owners that live elsewhere may be eligible to vote as a non-resident property elector. See “Non-Resident Property Elector” below for more information.

To vote in a Local Government Election, you must:

• be 18 years of age or older on General Voting Day for the election
• be a Canadian Citizen
• be a resident of British Columbia for at least six months before the day of registration
• be a resident of the City of Victoria
• be a qualified property elector (non-resident property owner)
• not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment

New for 2022:

• new residents no longer need to reside in the City of Victoria for at least 30 days to register to vote
• if you are 16 or 17 years old, you can pre-register by adding your name to the Future Voters List
• elector organizations must register with Elections BC and there are some new rules for candidates

Learn More About 2022 General Local Elections

The following are valid identity documents for proving voter identity.

If you are a registered voter, at least one document to prove your identify must include your signature.

If you are registering to vote at a Voting Place, you will be required to present two pieces. Please be prepared to present two of the identity documents noted below (one must have your signature).

• BC Driver’s Licence (Note: the dual BC Driver’s Licence and CareCard are considered one (1) piece of ID)
• BC Identification Card
• photo BC Services Card (Note: the dual BC Driver’s Licence and CareCard are considered one (1) piece of ID)
• Certificate of Indian Status as issued by the Government of Canada
• non-photo BC Services Card
• student card issued by a post-secondary institution
• Owner’s Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence issued by ICBC
• BC CareCard or BC Gold CareCard
• Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security Request for Continued Assistance Form SDES8
• Social Insurance Card
• confirmation of Social Insurance Number letter issued by the Government of Canada
• Canadian Citizenship Card
• City of Victoria Property Tax Notice
• Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits
• BC 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 issued for the supply of electricity, natural gas, water, telephone services or coaxial cable services
• a completed and signed Solemn Declaration that is witnessed and signed by a Commissioner of Affidavits in Form 12-16

Victoria property owners that live elsewhere may be eligible to vote in the 2022 Local Government Election as a non-resident property elector. The owners must be individuals, not corporations.

Non-resident property electors must meet the following qualifications:

• age 18 or older on General Voting Day
• a Canadian citizen
• a resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately before the day of registration
• a registered owner of real property in the City of Victoria for at least 30 days 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
• not disqualified by any enactment from voting in an election or 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

Register as a Non-Resident Property Elector

If you are not on the City's Voters List and qualify as a non-resident property elector, you may register in advance or at the time of voting. Non-resident property elector registration on voting day requires additional documentation. These documents include:

• proof of identity
• proof of place of residence
• proof of property ownership

In order to register as a non-resident property elector, you must provide:

• two pieces of personal identification - one with residential address, and one with your signature and
• property title deed or current City of Victoria property tax receipt and
• an Application Form
• a Consent Form, if the property is owned jointly with other individuals

You are ineligible to register as a non-resident property elector with corporate-owned properties. There is no corporate vote in BC.

Call Legislative Services at 250-361-0571 for more information about voting as a non-resident property elector.

After being greeted at the voting location, you will be directed to the first available election official. Present your Voter Card and one piece of acceptable identification then sign the voting book declaration to receive your ballot.

Bring two pieces of identification if any of the following applies:

• you are not on the List of Registered Voters
• you are updating your personal information on your Voter Card

Please see "Identity Documents" above for acceptable identification.

Continue to the voting booth where you will have privacy to mark your ballot.

Finally, proceed to the voting machine where you will feed the ballot into the tabulator.