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Information for Candidates
Below is helpful information for individuals who are considering running for City Council in the 2026 municipal election.
To run for a seat on Victoria City Council, candidates must be:
a Canadian citizen
18 years of age or older on General Voting Day
a resident of B.C. for at least six months before the day nomination papers are filed, and
not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment.
Note:You do not need to be a City of Victoria resident to run for Council.
Nomination documents will be available here in August 2026.
To be nominated, a candidate must:
Consent to the nomination
Submit nomination documents
Be nominated by at least 25 nominators (a nominator must be eligible to vote in Victoria as a resident elector or as a non-resident property elector)*
Pay a $100 refundable deposit when submitting nomination documents (refunded when a candidate files their Financial Disclosure Statement after the election)
Submit a Financial Disclosure Statement that identifies corporate and personal holdings (the statement is part of the nomination documents)
*An elector can act as a nominator for more than one candidate but must not nominate more candidates than there are positions to be filled during the election.
The nomination period opens Sept. 1, 2026 at 9 a.m. and closes on Sept. 11, 2026 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time.
The Chief Election Officer accepts nomination documents only during the nomination period.
Candidates can submit their nomination documents to the Chief Election Officer by:
Mail: Legislative Services, City of Victoria, 1 Centennial Square, Victoria, BC V8W 1P6
In person: Legislative Services at Victoria City Hall, weekdays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (please use the Pandora Avenue or Centennial Square entrance)
Candidates can pay their nomination deposit:
In-person at the Public Service Centre at Victoria City Hall, weekdays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Methods of payment include debit, cash, cheque and credit card.
By e-transfer. (Details to come).
Note: Please include the payment receipt when submitting your nomination documents.
Elections BC administers, investigates and enforces campaign financing, third-party sponsor and election advertising provisions under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act.
Candidates must only post signs during the “campaign period” which is 28 days before and four days after General Voting Day (Oct. 17, 2026). This year’s campaign signage timeframe is Sept. 19 to Oct. 21, 2026.
Anyone placing an election sign must follow the rules outlined in the City’s Sign Bylaw.
