Elections in the Trust Area

Island communities elect their local representatives every three years. In total, there are 26 trustees elected across the Trust Area.

2011 Islands Trust Elections

The next general local election for Island Trustees will take place on Saturday, November 19, 2011. Islands Trust elections are administered in accordance with the BC Local Government Act, under contract to six Regional Districts in the Trust Area. Bowen Island Municipality manages its own elections. Links to important election information for candidates and voters can be found below.

2011 Election Results

2011 Election Candidates

Polling Dates, Times and Places for 2011 Islands Trust Elections

General Information for Candidates

The Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development website has information about local government elections in British Columbia, including a Candidate’s Guide and a Campaign Organizer Guide:

General information for Islands Trust candidates is available here:

• Islands Trust Candidates Guide
• Trust Council Elections Bylaw
• Information for Voters and Candidates
• Statutory Rules of Conduct
• Trust Council Standards of Conduct
• Oath of Office

Nomination of Candidates

Nominations can only be accepted during the nomination period as set out in the Local Government Act.  In 2011 the nomination period will begin on October 4, 2011 and end at 4:00 pm on October 14, 2011.  Nomination packages for Island Trustees will be available through the Regional District responsible for elections in your area (see links below).

Nomination for office must be made by at least two (2) qualified nominators of the jurisdiction for which the person is nominated.  In order to be eligible as a nominator, a person must be an elector of the jurisdiction for which the nomination is made (see qualifications for Resident and Non-Resident Property Electors below).

Campaign Organizers

The provincial government passed new legislation in 2008 that requires the activities of ‘third parties’ in local election campaigns to be open and transparent.  Individuals, groups of individuals or organizations that organize a campaign (e.g. advertising, operating websites, distributing leaflets, arranging meetings and speeches) to promote or oppose a candidate, a point of view or a course of action proposed by a candidate are considered ‘Campaign Organizers’. For individuals, they are considered to be a Campaign Organizer if they undertake such a campaign in an election and accept contributions from others.

Campaign Organizers are required to appoint a financial agent before any campaign contributions may be accepted or any election expenses may be incurred. They must register with the Chief Election Officer as soon as reasonably possible after they have received or spent more than $500 in a general local election.

A Campaign Organizer’s financial agent must ensure the financial aspects of the election campaign are run in accordance with the campaign financing requirements contained in the Local Government Act.  They must open a campaign bank account and keep records of all expenses made and contributions received, including ‘in kind’ contributions of goods and services.  Campaign Organizers are required to submit campaign financing disclosure statements to the local government when they spend over $500 in election expenses or receive over $500 in campaign contributions in a general local election.

Campaign Organizers may operate independently from candidates and elector organizations and do not require the consent from a candidate or elector organization. Campaign Organizers cannot endorse a candidate on the ballot – only elector organizations may endorse a candidate on the ballot.

For more detailed information, see Campaign Organizer and Elector Organization Guide to Local Elections in BC produced by the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.

General Information for Voters

The Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development website has general information about local government elections in British Columbia including a Voter’s Guide that outlines who is qualified to vote.
General information for voters in the Islands Trust local elections is also available here:

Information for Voters and Candidates

Registering to Vote

To find out about procedures for registering to vote, check with elections staff in the Regional District responsible for elections in your area (see links below).

Qualifications for Registering as an Elector

There are two categories of electors for voting in local government elections: Resident Electors (you live in the community) and Non-Resident Property Electors (you own property in the community but live elsewhere).

Resident Electors

• must be 18 years of age or older on or before General Voting Day;
• must be a Canadian citizen;
• must have been a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration;
• must be a resident of the jurisdiction for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration; and
• not disqualified by the Local Government Act or any other Act from voting in an election or be otherwise disqualified by law.

Non-Resident Property Electors

If an Elector owns property in another jurisdiction other than the one they reside in, they may be eligible to register as a non-resident property elector. The Applicant must meet the following qualifications:

• must be 18 years of age or older on or before general voting day;
• must be a Canadian citizen;
• must have been a resident of B.C. for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration;
• must be a registered owner of real property in the jurisdiction for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration;
• must not be eligible to register as a resident elector in the jurisdiction;
• must only register in relation to one piece of property; and
• if more than one person owns the property, only one owner may register and that person must have the written consent of a majority of the other owners.

To register on Voting Day as a Non-Resident Property Elector, the Elector must provide proof of ownership by way of a recent title search, State of Title Certificate or a Property Tax Notice showing the names of all the registered owners of the subject property.

Only one person may vote for the property. If there is more than one registered owner, a form must be signed by a majority of the owners consenting to the applicant registering on behalf of the property and presented on voting day.

Non-Resident Property Elector Consent Form

Proof of Identity

To register as a Resident Elector or a Non-Resident Property Elector, two pieces of identification must be provided.  The documents must indicate the residential address of the applicant and a signature.

The following documents are acceptable for proof of identity when registering to vote:

• BC driver’s licence
• BC ID card issued by the Motor Vehicle Branch
• BC CareCard or Gold CareCard
• Request for Continued Assistance form SDES8
• Social Insurance Card (Canada)
• Citizenship Card (Canada)
• Real property tax notice (municipal or rural)
• Credit card or debit card issued by a savings institution
• Utility bill

2008 Candidate Election Forms

2008 Election and Referendum Results

Islands Trust Trustee Election Administration Review

• Trustee Election Administration Review - Public Survey Results - February 2008

By-Elections

Questions?

Please contact the elections staff in the Regional District responsible for elections in your area.

Islands Trust election services are contracted to the Regional Districts in your area. If you are unable to get the answers you need on this web-site, or from your regional district elections staff, please contact:

Legislative Services Manager
(Corporate Secretary)
(250) 405-5188

Mailing Address:
Islands Trust
200 - 1627 Fort St
Victoria, BC
V8R 1H8

Main: (250) 405-5151
Fax: (250) 405-5155