Elections

View 2022 General Election Nomination Documents

The District of Sooke is making Candidate Nomination Documents available in accordance with Section 89 of the Local Government Act and our Election Procedures Bylaw.

Section 89(9) of the Local Government Act states that “A person who inspects or otherwise accesses nomination documents under this section must not use the information included in them except for the purposes of this Act or purposes authorized by Section 63 [restrictions on use of personal information] of the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act.”

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Register to Vote

Advanced registration for the 2022 General Local Election is now closed. Resident voters may register at the time of voting by presenting two pieces of identification that provide evidence of identity and place of residence, one of which must include a signature. See “Voter Identification” below for more information.

Non-resident electors may still register to vote by contacting the Chief Election Officer. Day-of registration for non-resident voters is possible, however if there are multiple property owners, additional paperwork is required to be signed by all owners.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can register to be automatically added to the voters’ list when you turn 18 using Election BC’s online voter registration system.

Key Dates for Voters

• Thursday, April 14 – Last day to meet 6-month British Columbia residency requirement before General Voting Day (October 15)
• Tuesday, August 2 – First day to request omission of personal information from the Voters List
• Tuesday, August 23 – Last day to request omission of personal information from the Voters List
• Wednesday, September 14 – Last day to meet 30-day District property ownership requirement for non-resident property electors before General Voting Day
• Wednesday, October 5 – Advance voting opportunity
• Thursday, October 6 – Special Voting Opportunity for Ayre Manor residents only (12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
• Wednesday, October 12 – Advance voting opportunity
• Saturday, October 15 – General voting day and declaration of unofficial results
• Wednesday, October 19 at 4:00 p.m. – Declaration of official results

Ways to Vote

Your vote is important. Here are the options for making voting easy and convenient:

Vote on general voting day

General voting day is Saturday, October 15, 2022 at:

• Edward Milne Community School, 6218 Sooke Road
• Open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Vote in advance

There are two days of advance voting at Council Chambers, 2225 Otter Point Road, Sooke BC:

• Wednesday, October 5, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 12, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Vote by mail

Any voter can apply to vote by mail.

To request a mail ballot, please complete Form 11-1 Request for Mail Ballot Application and email, fax, mail, or deliver it to the Chief Election Officer between September 21 and October 13, 2022.

Ballots will be mailed or available for pick up at the Municipal Hall beginning on October 5, 2022 and must be returned to the Chief Election Officer by end of voting on October 15. Ballots may be returned by mail or dropped off in-person at the Municipal Hall until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 14. Ballots may also be dropped off at the General Voting day location (Edward Milne Community School – 6218 Sooke Road) on October 15 before 8:00 p.m.

Curbside voting

If you can travel to a voting place but find it difficult to get into the building, an election official will bring you a ballot. Curbside voting will be available at all voting places.

Voter Identification

To register to vote as a resident elector at the time of voting you will need two of the following identification documents showing residency and identity and one must contain a signature.

• BC Driver’s Licence*
• BC Identification Card
• BC Services Card*
• ICBC Registration
• Citizenship Card
• Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• property tax notice
• credit card or debit card
• utility bill

*if you have a combined BC Driver’s Licence and Service Card, it counts as only one piece of identification.

To register as a non-resident property elector at the time of voting you will need two pieces of ID as listed above, plus one document that provides proof of property ownership, such as:

• property tax notice/certificate
• property assessment notice from BC Assessment
• State of Title Certificate
• Title Search
• Certificate of Indefeasible Title
• If applicable, written consent of a majority of the registered owners on title

Key Dates for Candidates

• Tuesday, March 8 – Last day to meet 6-month BC residency requirement for candidates submitting nominations on September 9
• Thursday, August 11 at 6:00 p.m. – Candidate Information meeting, Council Chambers 2225 Otter Point Road
• Tuesday, August 30 at 9 a.m. – Nomination period starts
• Friday, September 9 at 4 p.m. – Nomination period ends
• Friday, September 16 – Last day to withdraw as a candidate
• Saturday, September 17 – Election campaign period starts
• Saturday, October 15 – General voting day and declaration of unofficial results
• Wednesday, October 19 – Declaration of official results
• Friday, January 18, 2023 – Deadline to file campaign financing disclosure statements to Elections BC

Candidate Eligibility

All candidates must be nominated by 2 eligible electors and declared a candidate by the Chief Election Officer.

To be declared a candidate, a completed nomination package must be returned to the Chief Election Officer during the nomination period. The nomination period for the 2022 General Local Election is from Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 9:00 am to Friday, September 9, 2022 at 4:00 p.m.

Nomination Packages will be available for pick-up at the Municipal Hall as of July 26, 2022.

Candidate Resources

• Running for local office
• Responsible conduct of locally elected officials
• Council roles & responsibilities
• Elections BC campaign financing
• Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, expense limit regulations for candidates
• Local Election FAQs

Candidate Information Meeting:

• Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
• District of Sooke Council Chambers, 2225 Otter Point Road

Potential candidates interesting in running for the offices of Mayor and Council are strongly encouraged to attend this session. Election staff will provide an overview of the nomination and election processes, as well as the roles and responsibilities of elected officials. Bring your questions!

A recording of the August 11 Information Session can be found on the District’s YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/UZxjgM_uxY0

Election sign regulations

Election signs are defined as “a temporary sign promoting a candidate or political party for election to public office.” Election signs do not require a permit; however, the sign must be removed within three days after the election. Election signs placed along Highway 14 are subject to additional restrictions, see: www.gov.bc.ca/electionsigns.

Read the District of Sooke Sign Regulation Bylaw >>

Election Work Opportunities

Interested in an employment opportunity for the 2022 election?

Please email the Chief Election Officer at stemple@sooke.ca

Election Administration

Municipal Responsibilities

The District is responsible for conducting its own local election. The District also conducts school trustee elections on behalf of the Sooke District 62 Board.

Council appoints a Chief Election Officer to ensure the process is run in accordance with the Local Government Act and the General Local Elections Regulation Bylaw.

Provincial Responsibilities

Elections BC is responsible for managing campaign financing disclosure requirements and maintains the voter list for voter registration and information updates.

Resources

• Local Government Act – Electors & Elections
• Elections BC Campaign Financing for Candidates
• Local Elections Campaign Financing Act 
• Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, Expense Limit Regulations for Candidates
• Elections BC Online Voter Registration
• Elections BC FAQs for candidates
• Community Charter – Council roles & responsibilities

Previous Election Results

The last general election was held on October 20, 2018, to elect the mayor, council and school trustees. A by-election was held in 2019 to elect one Councillor.

• View 2019 By-election Results >>
• View 2018 Election Results >>