Vancouver will vote in a pair of new councillors to city hall this spring.
The civic byelection is scheduled for April 5, 2025, but local residents will have ample opportunity to cast ballots.
Two of the 10 councillor seats are currently empty.
Christine Boyle of OneCity was elected as the new NDP MLA for Vancouver-Little Mountain. Adriane Carr of the Green Party, meanwhile, resigned in January as Vancouver's longest-serving councillor of 14 years.
The successful candidates elected on April 5 will serve roughly 16 months before the next municipal election, tentatively slated for Oct. 17, 2026.
Who are the candidates?
Thirteen people are looking to win the two open seats on Vancouver city council (in alphabetical order):
- Theodore Abbott, TEAM
- Jeanifer Decena, Independent
- Guy Dubé, Independent
- Colleen Hardwick, TEAM
- Ralph Kaisers, ABC Vancouver
- Charles Ling, Independent
- Karin Litzcke, Independent
- Lucy Maloney, OneCity
- Gerry McGuire, Independent
- Sean Orr, Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE)
- Annette Reilly, Green Party
- Rollergirl, Independent
- Jaime Stein, ABC Vancouver
What you need to know
Eligible Vancouver residents must be registered in order to vote in the byelection.
To vote in any municipal election, you must:
- be at least 18 years old by election day
- be a Canadian citizen
- have lived in Vancouver for at least six months
- live in Vancouver or have owned Vancouver property for at least 30 days
- be allowed to legally vote (some people have been disqualified by law)
Residents of UBC and the University Endowment Lands are not eligible to vote.
If you voted in the October 2024 provincial election, you are already on Vancouver's voting list.
However, those who are not registered can do so during the electoral process.
Those who vote in person and need to register can do so at a polling station. Residents who choose to vote by mail can fill out a registration form online when applying.
Two pieces of ID are required to register when voting in-person and must meet the following guidelines:
- both must show your name
- one must include your address
- one must include your signature
"You can make a solemn declaration to confirm your identity and residence," if you only have one piece of ID, according to the City of Vancouver.
What ID can I bring?
Acceptable pieces of identification, listed by the City of Vancouver, include:
- Band membership card or Certificate of Indian Status
- BC CareCard
- BC Driver’s Licence
- BC Identification Card (BCID)
- BC Services Card
- Canadian Citizenship Card
- Canadian Passport
- Debit or credit card
- Government cheque or cheque stub
- Old Age Security Identification Card
- Prescription medication containers
- Property tax assessment/notice
- Social Insurance Number Card
- Student card
- Utility bill
How can I vote?
There are plenty of options for Vancouver residents to cast a ballot in the byelection.
Advanced voting
Vancouver has scheduled two advance voting dates:
- Wednesday, March 26
- Tuesday, April 1
Both will take place at city hall — located at 453 W 12th Ave — and polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
On election day
Voters can head to their nearest polling station on the day of the byelection, Saturday, April 5.
There are 25 locations(see list below) that'll host ballot boxes for residents to choose who they want to represent them on council.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Vote by mail
Eligible residents can apply online via the city's website for a mail-in ballot.
Ballots can be completed at home and either returned by mail or dropped off at a designated box.
You will not be able to vote in-person if you have already been issued a mail ballot, the city said.
Where can I vote?
Vancouver voters looking to vote in person can do so at any of the following locations, including city hall (in alphabetical order):
Britannia Community Services Centre
- 1661 Napier St
- Second floor, gymnasium "D"
- Wheelchair ramp accessible through gym main doors
- Free street parking and free parking lot (five wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at accessible parking stall, east side of gymnasium "D" in the lane
Carnegie Community Centre
- 401 Main St
- Main floor, theatre
- Wheelchair ramp accessible at entrance facing Main Street
- Metered street parking and pay parking lot (no wheelchair accessible spots)
Champlain Heights Community Centre
- 3350 Maquinna Dr
- Second floor, lounge, accessible by elevator
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (three wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at curbside on Stikine Place
Coal Harbour Community Centre
- 480 Broughton St
- Main floor, multi-purpose room
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance along the path facing seawall
- Free parking on Jervis Street and pay parking lot (three wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at accessible parking stall in parking lot in front of community centre
Creekside Community Recreation Centre
- 1 Athletes Way
- Main floor, paddling centre
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Metered street parking and pay parking lot (two wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: on Athletes Way, near front entrance
Douglas Park Community Centre
- 801 W 22nd Ave
- Main floor, auditorium
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (two wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at accessible stall in front of community centre
Dunbar Community Centre
- 4747 Dunbar St
- Main floor, rooms 111 and 112
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (three wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at first accessible stall in parking lot
False Creek Community Centre
- 1318 Cartwright St
- Main floor, Lind Hall
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Metered street parking and pay parking lot (one wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at
10 min drop off
space on Cartwright St in front of community centre
Hastings Community Centre
- 3096 E Hastings St
- Main floor, Community Hall
- Wheelchair accessible from Community Hall entrance facing E Pender St
- Free street parking and free parking lot (no wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: on E Pender St, near the tree outside the Community Hall
Hillcrest Centre
- 4575 Clancy Loranger Way
- Second floor, room 328, accessible by elevator
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (five wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at accessible parking stall in parking lot, near front entrance
Kensington Community Centre
- 5175 Dumfries St
- Main floor, multi-purpose room 131
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (six wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at accessible parking stall in front of community centre
Kerrisdale Community Centre
- 5851 West Blvd
- Main floor, auditorium
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (four wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at accessible parking stall in parking lot, near front entrance
Killarney Community Centre
- 6260 Killarney St
- Main floor, Senior's Centre Grand Hall
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free parking lot (nine wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at the senior's centre drop off area behind the community centre's main entrance
Kitsilano War Memorial Community Centre
- 2690 Larch St
- Main floor, Snowy's Lounge
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (two wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: in front of community centre, in roundabout
Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre
- 990 W 59th Ave
- Second floor, auditorium, accessible by elevator
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (one wheelchair accessible spot)
- Curbside voting: at parking stall across from accessible parking stall
Mount Pleasant Community Centre
- 1 Kingsway
- Second floor, multi-purpose room 2, accessible by elevator
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Metered street parking and pay parking lot (two wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at curbside on W 7th Ave
Renfrew Park Community Centre
- 2929 E 22nd Ave
- Second floor, room 110, accessible by elevator
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (two wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at accessible parking stall in parking lot
Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre
- 181 Roundhouse Mews
- Main floor, gymnasium
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Metered street parking and pay parking lot (one wheelchair accessible spot)
- Curbside voting: on Roundhouse Mews at loading zone near front entrance
Strathcona Community Centre
- 601 Keefer St
- Main floor, community room
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance or rear entrance with ramp
- Free street parking and free parking lot (one wheelchair accessible spot)
- Curbside voting: at curbside on Keefer St in front of community centre
Sunset Community Centre
- 6810 Main St
- Main floor, 117 hall
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (two wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at passenger zone space on Main St
Thunderbird Community Centre
- 2311 Cassiar St
- Second floor, multi-purpose room, accessible by elevator
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (one wheelchair accessible spot)
- Curbside voting: on Cassiar St outside front entrance
Trout Lake Community Centre
- 3360 Victoria Dr
- Main floor, Grandview Room
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and free parking lot (six wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at loading zone in front of community centre
West End Community Centre
- 870 Denman St
- Main floor, auditorium
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Free street parking and pay parking lot (two wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at curbside on Haro St
West Point Grey Community Centre
- 4397 W 2nd Ave
- Main floor, gymnasium
- Wheelchair accessible from main entrance
- Metered street parking and free parking lot (two wheelchair accessible spots)
- Curbside voting: at accessible parking stall outside gym
For more information, you can visit the City of Vancouver's byelection page.
With files from Brendan Kergin
