Voting Eligibility

Who Can Vote?

You are eligible to vote in the Town of Qualicum Beach as a Resident Elector if you:

• are 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
• are a Canadian citizen;
• have lived in British Columbia for at least six months immediately before you register to vote;
• have lived in the Town of Qualicum Beach for at least 30 days immediately before you register to vote; and
• are not disqualified by the Local Government Act, or any other Act, or the Courts from voting in a local election.

Landed immigrants and corporations are not eligible to vote. You do not need to own property to vote as a Resident Elector.

You are eligible to vote in the Town of Qualicum Beach as a Non-Resident Property Elector if you are not eligible to register as a Resident Elector and you:

• are 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
• are a Canadian citizen;
• have lived in British Columbia for at least six months immediately before you register to vote;
• have owned property in the Town of Qualicum Beach for at least 30 days immediately before you register to vote; and
• are not disqualified by the Local Government Act , or any other Act, or the Courts from voting in a local election.

You may only register in relation to one piece of property. If more than one person owns the property, only one of the owners may register and that person must have the written consent of the majority of the owners. If you own the property with a corporation, none of the owners of the property are eligible to vote. In accordance with the Local Government Act, the only persons who are registered owners, either as joint tenants or tenants-in common, are individuals who are not holding the property in trust for a corporation or another trust.

How do you know if you are a resident of, or if the property you own is within the boundaries of, the Town of Qualicum Beach? Many area residents have a Qualicum Beach postal address but are actually located within an electoral area of the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN). One test is, to whom do you pay your property taxes, the Town or the Province of BC? You can also check the RDN boundary map, or call Town Hall to confirm.

Can I look at the Qualicum Beach List of Electors?

Starting March 30, 2021 until the close of voting May 15, 2021, a copy of the List of Registered Electors will be available for public inspection at Town Hall after signing a statement to confirm the person will not inspect the list or use the information except for the purposes of the election.

Until March 23, 2021 at 4:00 pm, an elector can submit a written objection to the registration of a person on the list, if the person has died or is not qualified to be registered.

Protection of Privacy - An elector may request that their address or other information about them be omitted from, or obscured on, the List of Registered Electors. Contact Town Staff at 250.738.2207.

Contact

Chief Election Officer
Heather Svensen, Corporate Administrator
Office Hours Telephone: 250.738.2207
Voting Day Telephone: 250.927.5010
Email: [email protected]

Deputy Chief Election Officer
Haylee Gould, Deputy Corporate Administrator
Office Hours Telephone: 250.738.2190
Email: [email protected]

The above information has been prepared for the convenience of the public and to provide assistance in understanding the local government election process and does not cover every aspect of local elections. It is not intended to be a complete and comprehensive document nor is it a substitution for the legislation contained in Part 3 of the Local Government Act or any other act. For detailed information on all aspects of voting or running for office in local government elections, refer to the Local Government Act or visit the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development website on local government elections here.