Elections, AAP, Referenda

Introduction to General Local Elections

General local elections in B.C. are held every four years on the third Saturday in October. The next general local elections will be held on October 15, 2022.

General local elections (and by-elections) are the most direct way for the public to influence their local government, school district or other local governance body by determining the individuals who then make decisions and govern on their behalf following general voting day.

Who can run for office in Ladysmith?

You may run for any local government office if you:

  • are a Canadian citizen;
  • are at least 18 years old on election day;
  • have lived in British Columbia for at least six months (i.e., you moved here on or before May 13, 2014); and
  • have not been disqualified from voting in this election.

You do not have to live or own property in Ladysmith to run for office here.

You may not run for local government office if you:

  • are a judge of the Provincial Court, Supreme Court or Court of Appeal;
  • are an employee or salaried officer of the Town of Ladysmith (unless you have taken a leave of absence to run for office and agree to resign if elected);
  • are under sentence for an indictable offence and are in custody or in prison;
  • have been found guilty of an elections offence, such as double voting or  buying votes, and are prohibited from holding office; or
  • have been disqualified from this election for failing to:
    • file a disclosure statement in a previous election;
    • make an oath of office; or
    • attend meetings.

For more information about running for office, click on this link for a Local Elections Candidates Guide produced by the Province of BC -- BC Government Candidate Guide, Thinking of Running for Local Officevideo series, or pick up a copy at City Hall.

For information about the new rules for campaign financing under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, click here.

Who can vote?

There are two types of electors -- resident and non-resident.

You qualify as a Resident Elector (who lives in the Town of Ladysmith) if you:

  • are 18 years of age or older; and
  • are a Canadian citizen; and
  • have lived in British Columbia for at least 6 months; and
  • have lived in the Town of Ladysmith for 30 days or longer; and
  • are not disqualified from voting in an election, or otherwise disqualified by law.

You qualify as a Non-Resident Property Elector (who owns property in the Town of Ladysmith but does not live here) in the Town of Ladysmith if you are:

  • age 18 or older; and
  • a Canadian citizen; and
  • a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months; and
  • a registered owner of real property in the Town of Ladysmith for at least 30 days ; and
  • not entitled to register as a resident elector; and
  • not disqualified by any enactment from voting in an election or otherwise disqualified by law

If there is more than 1 registered owner of the property, only 1 of those individuals may, with the written consent of the majority of the other owners, submit an elector response form as a non-resident property elector.

Where can I learn more about local government?

For information about local government and elections in B.C., click here.  

Where can I get more information about local government elections?

Don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions or need more information:

Corporate Officer:  Donna Smith, 250.245.6417, dsmith@ladysmith.ca.

Alternative Approval Process (AAP)

There are no AAP's at this time.

What is an AAP?

When a local government needs to borrow money over more than five years, the Community Charter requires that this must be approved by the electors.  An Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is the method most commonly used by local governments in British Columbia for approval of borrowing . In an AAP, people who do not support the borrowing are required to submit an Elector Response Form.  
To read more about the Alternative Approval process, please click here, or visit the Province of BC Website. 

Referendum

There is currently no referendum, for the Town of Ladysmith.