This fall, there are local general elections, and there is a referendum (look for articles soon on what these are all about, and why you should vote!). If you’re a BC politics nerd like I am, it’s like Christmas came early! But I know most people, especially university students, aren’t as excited by this as I am. Most people I talk to, even if they have some interest in voting, think they can’t. But—surprise!—you almost certainly can.
A quick explanation: local general elections are those in which you vote for your city/town/district mayor, councillors, and school board trustees. It can also include community opinion questions to see how much support there is for proposed activities or changes that affect the area in which you are voting. For the referendum vote, BC voters will be asked if we want to change our voting system, and if so, to rank in order of preference a few other voting systems (check out our article which explains some of the options and sides of the debate).
For both these votes, there are some criteria you’ll have to fulfill first: being 18 years of age or older when you vote, being a Canadian citizen, having lived in BC for at least six months, and having lived in the city/town/district that you’re voting in for at least 30 days. If you can check all those boxes, you’re good to go!
You’ll first have to register to vote for both, or if you have registered with an old address, update your address—all that can be done here. It only takes a couple minutes to register! If you haven’t registered before the local general election voting day (October 20th, or advance voting on the 10th, 15th, and 17th in many locations), that shouldn’t be a problem; you can usually register in person the day of. Because the referendum is done by mail out ballot, it’s necessary that you’re registered with your current address before October 22nd, when ballots are sent out. If you’re living on campus or renting, that’s not a problem. You can still register with that address!
To vote in the local general election, you don’t need to bring ID to vote unless you have not yet registered to vote. (These are the rules in Saanich. If you’re in another area, check your local requirements in case this is different). If you are registering when you go to vote, you’ll need at least two pieces of ID that can prove your identity and address, one of which needs to have your signature on it. If you don’t have ID with your current address, you can bring two pieces of ID that prove your identity, one of which has your signature, and make a “solemn declaration” that you live at the address you say (essentially, you just sign a paper and tell them that you are not lying). They recommend ID like a driver’s license, BC Services Card, passport, bank card, or student ID.
If you live in Saanich, like many UVic students, you can find all this information and more about the general local elections here. Alternatively, find information for Victoria City here, and Oak Bay here. For more information on the referendum, head here.
It’s so much easier than I’d ever thought it would be to vote. I’ve learned that, generally, they try to make sure anyone who wants to vote, can vote. So if you want to participate in democracy and have your say this fall, get out there and vote!