Elections: Voter Information

Voting by Mail (Mail Ballot):

The District of Sechelt provides the option of voting by mail ballot to all eligible voters. The deadlines to apply for mail ballots (as advertised below) have now lapsed.

The only remaining option to vote by mail ballot is to request to PICK UP a mail ballot package in person from Municipal Hall, 5797 Cowrie Street, 2nd floor, Sechelt.  The only way to do this is to send an email to elections@sechelt.ca before 12 noon on Friday October 16, 2026 and provide your full name, residential address, address of the property you own (if you are a non-resident property elector) as well as your email and phone number for contact purposes.  

The final deadline to collect a mail ballot is 4pm on Friday October 16, 2026.

2026 Key Dates/Deadlines for Voting by Mail Ballot:

• Apply online to receive a mail ballot package by mail - starts Tuesday September 8, 2026 
• Deadline to apply online for a mail ballot package by mail - Wednesday September 23, 2026 (online applications are now closed)
• Deadline to apply online for a mail ballot package by in-person pick up - Friday October 2, 2026 (online applications are now closed)
• Deadline to pick up mail ballot package in person at Municipal Hall - Friday October 16, 2026 
• The FINAL deadline to return a completed ballot package to the Chief Elections Officer is 8 pm on Saturday October 17, 2026 at one of the voting locations mentioned below.

Mail ballots may be dropped off at the following voting locations on these voting days/times: 

• Sechelt Aquatic Centre – Fitness Room, 5500 Shorncliffe Avenue, Sechelt on Advance Voting Days (October 7 and 14, 8am to 8pm)
• Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre – 5604 Trail Avenue, Sechelt on General Voting Day (October 17 8am to 8pm)
• West Sechelt Elementary - 5609 Mason Road, Sechelt on General Voting Day (October 17, 8am to 8pm)
• Davis Bay Elementary - 5078 Davis Bay Road, Sechelt on General Voting Day (October 17, 8am to 8pm)

The Chief Election Officer must receive all completed mail ballots no later than 8 pm on October 17, 2026. 

Mail ballots received after this deadline will not be counted.

How to Complete a Mail Ballot?

Full instructions will be included in your mail ballot package. Please take care to complete the necessary requirements to ensure your ballot is not rejected.

When will Mail Ballots be Counted?

To be counted, your mail ballot must be received by the Chief Election Officer no later than 8 pm on Saturday, October 17, 2026.  The Chief Elections Officer will run all the Mail Ballots returned through the automated voting machines at the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre shortly after the close of voting on October 17, 2026 with the Special Voting ballots. 

Voting in person in Sechelt: 

For the complete official rules for general local elections, please review:

• Part 3 of the Local Government Act

• Section 81 of the Community Charter

The right to vote is granted to citizens based on residency or property ownership.  No one is eligible to vote in relation to property owned through or in conjunction with a corporation.

There are no proxy votes in a municipal election. 

To be eligible to vote, you must either be a Resident Elector OR a Non-Resident Property Elector.

Voting as a Resident Elector:

To vote in the District of Sechelt election as a Resident Elector, you must:

• Be a Canadian Citizen;

• Be 18 years of age or older on the day of registration;

• Be a resident of the District of Sechelt on the day of registration;

• Have been a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration; and

• Not be disqualified from voting in an election.

Corporations, businesses and permanent residents of Canada (landed immigrants who have not yet become Canadian Citizens) are not permitted to vote.

Voting as a Non-Resident Property Elector:

You are eligible to register as a Non-Resident Property Elector and vote in the District of Sechelt election if you 

• are a Canadian Citizen;

• are 18 years of age or older on the day of registration;

• have been a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration; 

• are not disqualified from voting in an election;

• are a registered owner, or an owner as joint tenant or tenant in common, of a real property in the District of Sechelt for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration; and

• (if applicable) have the written consent to vote from the majority of registered owners. 

Non-resident property electors must produce two pieces of identification (at least one with a signature) to prove identity and that they are entitled to register in relation to property (e.g. property tax notice or certificate of title). 

Only ONE owner of per parcel may register as a non-resident property elector.  If there is more than one property owner, written consent from the majority of property owners must also be provided to obtain a ballot. 

Additional important information:

• Non-Resident Property Electors will be asked to complete a Non-Resident Property Elector Registration Form which includes a Consent form from the other property owners. These forms are available at both advance voting opportunities and on general voting day.

Are you a Student?

If you attend school in a different jurisdiction than where your residence is located, you can vote in either jurisdiction but not in both.

Register to Vote

• You must be registered before you can vote in the general local election.

• The District of Sechelt uses the most recent provincial electors list as our registered resident electors list, so if you are registered to vote in the provincial elections, you are automatically registered to vote in the 2026 General Local Election prepared by Elections BC. 

• The District will adopt the Provincial Voters List as it stands on August 26, 2026 in accordance with the Elections and Other Voting Bylaw.  If you are not on the Voters List, you can still register to vote on Advance Voting Days or General Voting Day.  

• To register on voting day, you must show two pieces of identification - one to prove who you are and the other to prove where you live (i.e. includes your name and residential address).  One of the pieces of identification must also include your signature (e.g. driver's license, BC Services Card).

• If neither piece of identification shows your residential address, you must make a solemn declaration as to your place of residence.

Acceptable Voter Identification:

These are the only acceptable forms of identification for voters:

• BC Care Card

• BC Identification Card Issued by ICBC

• BC Services Card

• BC Driver's License

• Birth Certificate

• Canadian Passport or Citizenship Card

• Certificate of Indian Status

• Credit or debit card with name

• Income Tax Assessment

• Monthly Report/Request for Continued Income Assistance

• Nexus Border Card

• Owner's Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle License issued by ICBC

• Property Tax Notice issued by the District of Sechelt

• Social Insurance Card

• Statutory Declaration/Sworn Affidavit (from a notary public, lawyer, or commissioner for taking affidavits). 

• Student Card

• Utility bill (electricity, natural gas, water, telephone, or cable bill). 

• a document, issued by the government of Canada, that certifies that the applicant is registered as an Indian under the Indian Act (Canada), such as a status card, 

• a citizenship or membership card issued by a First Nation

• a citizenship card issued by Métis Nation British Columbia.

NOTE: If the BC Care Card and Driver’s License are combined, it only counts as one piece of identification. 

Non-resident property electors must produce two pieces of identification (at least one with a signature) to prove identity and that they are entitled to register in relation to property (e.g. property tax notice or certificate of title).  If applicable, written consent from the majority of property owners must be provided. Only one owner may register as a non-resident property elector.