Becoming a local councillor or public board member is essentially a two-step process.
You become a candidate and then you get elected. The first part is easy. The second part is hard. This is not a guide to the second part.
To become a candidate for the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation or city council there's a pretty straightforward process.
Am I eligible?
If you're considering running, you first need to know if you're allowed. Most people are, as there are only a few basic factors.
Candidates need to first be Canadian citizens aged 18 years old by Oct. 15. So fine scotches and middle school students are out (21-year-old scotches don't have Canadian citizenship, and middle schoolers aren't 18).
Next, you need to have lived in B.C. for at least six months as of the nomination date; so for the upcoming election, you'll have to have lived in the province since at least March 2022.
Those are the basic eligibility requirements in B.C.; Vancouver has a few particular ones as well. One group that can't run are judges for the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court or Provincial Court. Along the same lines are employees of the city or parks board; essentially you can't be part of the ruling board and an employee of it at the same time.
People can also be disqualified for past electoral crimes.
And that's it. No, you don't need to live in Vancouver, or work in Vancouver, or own property in Vancouver. Those things probably make it easier to be elected, but from an official candidacy standpoint, they're unnecessary. Candidates also don't need any special education or background to run.
File nomination papers
Like bankrupcy, declaring yourself a candidate takes more than shouting it in the street. First, pick a roll. There's one mayor, seven park board commissioners, nine school trustees (though that's a slightly different process) and 10 city councillors in Vancouver. That's 27 different spots with four-year terms.
Once you've selected your battle, you have to gather the nomination papers, fill them out and submit them after Aug. 30 and before 4 p.m. on Sept. 9. Submitting nomination papers is a bit more involved than emailing them in; potential candidates need to call the Chief Election Officer (1-604-829-2010) and book an appointment.
Mandatory parts of the nomination papers include a $100 deposit, the appointment of a financial agent, and the official nomination by electors (voters) from the area you're running.
Once nominated
On Sept. 16 the candidates will officially be announced and from there it's the election campaign, which is the hard part. However, for those who've been nominated and accepted it, there are plenty of election rules to follow as a result of step one, so be sure to keep track of finances and all that.
For more advanced tips on local elections and politics, V.I.A.'s Mike Howell wrote a useful explainer breaking down what to expect if you're running.
From Sept. 17 to Oct. 14 is the campaign period, with the election happening Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.
