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Vancouver civic election and plebiscites set for Oct. 17, with advance voting Oct. 3, 7, 10 and 13

Vancouver civic election and plebiscites set for Oct. 17, with advance voting Oct. 3, 7, 10 and 13

Vancouver voters will cast ballots on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, with advance voting options on four earlier dates.

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Vancouver’s 2026 civic election will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, following a provincial general election on Saturday, Oct. 24.

On the civic election ballot, voters will choose one Vancouver mayor, 10 Vancouver city councillors, seven Vancouver Park Board commissioners, and nine Vancouver School Board trustees, with 130 candidates appearing on the first ballot form in a random non-alphabetical order previously determined by a random draw.

The same ballot form will also include three yes-or-no questions asking whether Vancouver’s municipal government can borrow a combined $790 million to help fund new and improved community and recreational facilities and infrastructure under the 2027-2030 capital plan.

A second ballot form will include two non-binding advisory public safety plebiscite questions about public hard drug use and a proposed secure medical facility providing voluntary and involuntary care for people experiencing mental health and addictions issues.

Advance voting for the civic election will be available at 59 locations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, Wednesday, Oct. 7, Saturday, Oct. 10, and Tuesday, Oct. 13.

On civic election day, 85 voting places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, and voters can cast a ballot at any voting place in the city rather than being restricted to their neighbourhood.

To vote, a Vancouver voter must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old on Oct. 17, and have lived in British Columbia for at least six months immediately before registering; they must live in Vancouver and cannot be legally disqualified from voting.

The voting information provided by the city says there is no minimum length of time someone must have lived within Vancouver itself.

People living elsewhere in B.C. may still qualify if they have owned property registered in their name in Vancouver for at least 30 days before registering, with additional non-resident property voter rules including one owner per property and written consent from a majority of owners for jointly owned properties.

Registered voters are advised to bring the Voter Information Card mailed in September 2026 to speed check-in, and voters who are not registered can sign up at a voting place.

The city’s voting guide states voters need two acceptable pieces of identification showing their name, with at least one document showing their address and at least one showing their signature; acceptable documents include a B.C. driver’s licence, Canadian passport, bank statement, or utility bill, and electronic utility bills displayed on a phone are accepted.

The guide also says people with only one piece of identification can make a solemn declaration confirming their identity and address.

Mail-in voting remains an option, with requests to have a ballot package mailed out required by noon on Monday, Oct. 5.

For pickup, packages can be requested until noon on Tuesday, Oct. 13, with pickup available until noon on Friday, Oct. 16.

Completed mail ballots must reach the City by 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17 to be counted, and a postmark before the deadline is not sufficient, with ballots returnable by mail or through designated drop boxes.

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