General voting day

General voting day is the primary opportunity for eligible electors to cast a vote in a General Local Election (held every four years) or in an Assent Vote / Referendum (held for specific initiatives). Voting places are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm local time on general voting day.

Advance voting

An advance voting opportunity must be held 10 days prior to general voting day. This required advance voting day allows eligible electors who may not otherwise be able to vote on general voting day to cast their ballots. Electoral Areas and Service Areas with populations greater than 5,000 are required to hold at least two advance voting opportunities.

Special voting

Special voting opportunities may be held in any location – inside or outside the local government boundary – to provide eligible electors who may not otherwise be able to attend a voting place an opportunity to cast their ballots during a local election.

Special voting opportunities are generally held in hospitals, long-term care facilities or other locations where electors’ mobility may be impaired. Only designated electors are eligible to vote at special voting opportunities. Local governments may set out the specific dates, times and locations where special voting will take place during an election in their election bylaws​.

Mail ballot voting

Mail ballot voting provides electors the ability to register to vote and cast a ballot by mail rather than attending a polling station in-person to vote at a  an advance, special or general voting opportunity in local elections. All eligible electors may vote by mail ballot if the local government has adopted a bylaw that offers mail ballot voting.

A person may not cast their ballot in local elections via the Internet or over the telephone.

If you live in the designated Electoral Area or Local Service Area, you are eligible to cast a vote as a "resident elector". 

A resident elector is a person who is:

• a Canadian citizen;
• 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
• a resident of British Columbia for at least six months prior to general voting day;
• a resident of the Quesnel Fringe Fire Protection Service area; and
• not disqualified by law from voting in a local election.

Voters will register to vote on the same day they cast their ballot. You will be asked to produce two pieces of identification (at least one with a signature), which should prove both residency and identity. If you are casting your ballot by mail, you will register to vote as part of your application to vote by mail. 

Every resident meeting voting qualifications is entitled to vote. There are no restrictions on how many resident electors living at the same property can cast a vote. 

If you you own property inside of the designated Electoral Area or Local Service Area and do not live in it, you are able to vote as a non-resident property elector. A non-resident property elector is a person who is:

• a Canadian Citizen;
• 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
• a resident of British Columbia for at least six months prior to general voting day;
• an owner of property in the applicable Electoral Area or Local Service Area for at least 30 days prior to general voting day; and
• not disqualified by law from voting in an election.

Only one non-resident elector may vote for a property, regardless of how many people own the property. If there are multiple property owners, the person voting on behalf of the owners must be authorized by at least a majority of the owners to vote.

There is no need to pre-register to vote, as each voter will register on the same day they cast their ballot. You will be asked to produce two pieces of identification (at least one with a signature), which should prove your identity.

Additionally, you will be asked to provide proof of property ownership and, if there are multiple owners, the written consent of a majority of owners to register as a non-resident property elector.

If your property is owned in whole or in part by a corporation or other corporate entity, you will not be able to vote as a non-resident property elector for that property.

To ensure you are able to vote, please contact the Chief Election Officer or Deputy Chief Election Officer.

Voters may request a mail ballot package anytime between Month XX and X:00 p.m. on Month XX, 202X. 

Request a Mail Ballot Package

You can request a package from the Chief Election Officer by phone, mail, at one of our offices, or online using the mail ballot request form. Completed requests must be submitted to the Chief Election Officer before X:00 p.m. on Month XX, 202X.

Completed mail ballots must be received by the Chief Election Officer by X:00 p.m. on Month XX, 202X at the CRD’s office in Williams Lake, or by X:00 p.m. on General Voting Day, Month XX, 202X at Location.

Mail ballots must be packaged according to the instructions included in each mail ballot package and may be rejected if not packaged correctly.

Scrutineers observe voting procedures and scrutinize the ballot-counting process. In referenda, you can apply to the Chief Election Officer to be appointed as a scrutineer. Application forms to request to be a scrutineer can be requested from the Chief Election Officer. 

Any eligible voter in the service area, except election officials, may be a scrutineer. The Chief Election Officer must appoint scrutineers for and against the assent voting question for each polling station, only if valid applications for these positions have been submitted. Only one scrutineer for each side may be present.

The absence of a scrutineer at the voting place does not invalidate the assent vote.

When a resident elector is required to show two pieces of identification, the identification must prove who they are and where they live - including the person's name and residential address. One of the pieces of identification must also include the person's signature. If neither piece of identification shows the elector's residential address, they may make a solemn declaration as to their place of residence.

Non-resident property electors must prove who they are and where they live as well as provide the address or legal description and the title (or other proof of ownership) of the property in relation to which they are registering to vote. Non-resident property electors must also demonstrate to the presiding election official that they have the written consent of the majority of all owners to vote as the designated non-resident property elector if they own the property with another person.

Some examples of acceptable voter identification include:

• official government-issued ID like a Driver's Licence, BC Services Card, Certificate of Indian Status, or another card issued by the Government of B.C. or Canada (the BC Services Card when combined with a Driver’s Licence is considered one piece of identification);
• an invoice / bill from a utility like BC Hydro, Fortis BC, or ICBC;
• A property tax notice issued by the Province of B.C. or a municipality in the Cariboo Regional District; and
• A bank/credit card or statement.