Information for Candidates

A person may become a candidate in a local election as long as they have not been disqualified from seeking or holding elected office. 

To be eligible to run for Mayor or Councillor, a candidate must:

• Be a Canadian citizen; AND
• Be, or will be, 18 years of age or older (October 17, 2008) on or before general voting day; AND
• Have lived in BC for at least six months. March 10, 2026, is the last day to meet six-month residency requirement for candidates; AND
• Have not been disqualified by any law or statute from being nominated, elected, or holding office.

Note:   There is no requirement for a candidate to be a resident or own property in the municipality.

The Province of BC has made the following resources available to help inform and guide individuals who are considering running for local office:

• Candidate's Guide to Local Elections in B.C.
• General Local Elections 101 (PDF, 484KB)
• Scrutineer's Guide to General Local Elections in B.C. (PDF, 408KB)
• Supporting a Candidate for Local Elections in B.C. (PDF, 365KB)
• Thinking About Running for Local Office? (PDF, 438KB)
• Voter’s Guide for Electors Living on Reserve (PDF, 554KB)
• Voter's Guide to Local Elections in B.C:
  • Chinese Simplified (PDF, 542KB)
  • Chinese Traditional (PDF, 578KB)
  • English (PDF, 185KB)
  • Farsi (PDF, 243KB)
  • French (PDF, 243KB)
  • Korean (PDF, 249KB)
  • Punjabi (PDF, 254KB)
• Videos: Being an Effective Elected Official
• What Every Candidate Needs to Know (PDF, 494KB)

Who May Nominate a Candidate?

Each candidate must be nominated by at least ten (10) eligible electors from the election area where the candidate is seeking to be elected. A nominator must be eligible to vote in the District of Highlands as a resident elector or as a non-resident property elector in order to nominate a candidate for office.

Nomination Period & Becoming a Candidates

The nomination period starts on September 1, 2026 at 8:30 am and ends Friday, September 11, 2026 at 4:00 pm. The nomination period is the only time during the election process when the Chief Election Officer can accept nomination documents.

A nominee officially becomes a candidate once their completed nomination documents are filled and accepted by the Chief Election Officer during the nomination period. 

Following the close of nominations, the Chief Election Officer publishes a Declaration of Candidates, confirming those who have been properly nominated.

Nomination Packages

Candidate nomination packages will be available beginning August 4, 2026, and may be obtained from the District Office (1980 Millstream Road) during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding statutory holidays. Packages will remain available throughout the nomination period, which closes at 4:00 p.m. on September 11, 2026.

Nomination packages may be delivered by hand, mail, or other delivery service for filing with the Chief Election Officer to: District of Highlands Office, 1980 Millstream Road, Victoria BC V9B 6H1 - Fax: 250-474-3677 - Email: elections@highlands.ca. 

Nomination documents will be accepted during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding statutory holidays, during the nomination period of September 1 to September 11, 2026. All nomination documents must be received by 4:00 p.m. on September 11, 2026. Submissions received before or after the nomination period cannot be accepted.

Appointments are recommended when submitting your nomination package.  To book an appointment email: elections@highlands.ca or call 250-474-1773. 

Challenging a Nomination

Nomination documents that are submitted by nominees are available for public inspection at District Office (1980 Millstream Road) during regular office hours from the time they have been submitted until 30 days after the election results have been declared. 

An eligible elector, another candidate or the local Chief Election Officer may challenge a nomination if they believe the nomination documents are incorrect or the person is not otherwise eligible to be nominated for office. Nomination challenges must be made through an application to the Provincial Court and be supported by an affidavit.

Elections BC administers campaign financing, election advertising and elector organization registration under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act.

Campaign financing disclosure requirements promote transparency and accountability for campaign contributions and election expenses incurred during general local elections, by-elections, and assent voting events. 

Follow the hyperlinks below to learn more about Elections BC and their role during general local elections and candidates responsibilities:

Handbook for Local Candidates

Local Elections FAQs | Elections BC

In accordance with the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, for the 2026 general local election, expense limits for candidates during the campaign period apply.  These limits can be found on the Election BC website HERE.