Running for Office

To be eligible to run for a local government office in a general local election or a by-election, a person must meet certain eligibility requirements. They do not have to live or own property in the local government where they are running for office

To be eligible to run for office, a person must: 

• Be 18 years of age or older on general voting day
• Be a Canadian citizen
• Have been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately before filing nomination documents
• Not be disqualified under 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 office, or be otherwise disqualified by law

A person is ineligible to run for office in a general local election or by-election if they: 

• Have been convicted of and sentenced for an indictable offence and are in custody
• Have been found guilty of an election offence, such as intimidation or vote-buying, and are prohibited from holding office
• Are judges of the Provincial Court, Supreme Court or Court of Appeal
• Are involuntarily confined to a psychiatric facility or other institution
• Have been disqualified for specified reasons, such as failing to: 
• File a candidate disclosure statement in a previous election
• Make an oath of office
• Attend local government meetings in the manner and frequency required by the Community Charter
• Been disqualified under 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 being otherwise disqualified by law.
• Being an Effective Elected Official 

View Nomination Documents and Financial Disclosure Statements

Download a Nomination Package

Submit a Nomination Package

Nominations and Financial Disclosure Statements

Prospective candidates for local government office must be nominated, consent to the nomination, submit nomination documents, and submit a financial disclosure statement that details their corporate and personal holdings to run for local office.

Nominations Period

The nomination period is September 1, 2026, at 9:00 am through to September 11, 2026, at 4:00 pm. 

This is the only time during which the Chief Election Officer may accept nomination documents. For the City of Chilliwack, there is no fee/deposit to file your nomination papers, and only two nominators are required.

Eligibility to Nominate a Candidate

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 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 being 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, or, if they are sending their papers by email, mail, or alternate delivery method before a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits for BC (such as a lawyer or notary public). 

We do encourage you to make an appointment with the Chief Election Officer so we can ensure your nomination documents are completed in their entirety. Contact information for the Chief Election Officer is [email protected] or 604.793.2934.

Please note: New legislation states you do not have to submit original nomination documents.

Candidates may 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 before the end of the nomination period and have been declared a candidate by the Chief Election Officer. 

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.

An elector organization is an organization that endorses, or intends to endorse, a candidate or candidates in general local elections and by-elections. Elector organizations may be referred to as "civic political parties".

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

Elections BC - Elector Organizations

Learn more about elector organizations and candidate endorsement 

Elector Organization Guide to Local Elections in BC

Guide to Elector Organization Registration

There are several advertising and campaign financing disclosure requirements that candidates, electoral organizations, and third-party sponsors must comply with before, during, and after general local elections. Please click on the link below to access those requirements. 

Election Advertising and Campaign Financing Rules

Candidate Information | Elections BC

Local Government Act

Local Election Campaign Financing Act

Community Charter

School Act

Offence Act

Bylaw 2 Trustee Elections

Cultus Lake Park Act 

Candidates' Guide to Local Elections in BC 

General Local Elections 101

Scrutineer's Guide to General Local Elections

Supporting a Candidate for Local Elections in BC

Thinking of Running for Local Office?

CivicInfo BC

School Trustee Election Procedures in BC

Election Procedures Bylaw (in progress)

Election Signs and Posters - Ministry of Transportation and Transit

Ministry of Transportation and Transit Policy Manual for Supplement Signs

Guide for Local Elections Third Party Sponsorship in BC

Guide to Local Elections Campaign Financing in BC for Candidates and their Financial Agents

Guide to Local Elections Campaign Financing in BC for Elector Organizations and their Financial Agents

What Every Candidate Needs to Know

The Basics of General Local Elections

Local Elections are not managed by one organization. Each local government is responsible for running its own local elections, including voting, reporting results, and accepting candidate nominations. 

Elections BC is responsible for administering the campaign financing and election advertising rules in the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act

Who Does What Elections BC Page

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Chief Election Officer - Jacqueline Morgan, CMC, at 604.793.2934 during regular business hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, excluding holidays or [email protected]