Candidates must be nominated by at least two eligible electors from the election area where the candidate is seeking to be elected. Candidate nomination packages will be available online (linked below) and at Municipal Hall on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
The candidate nomination period begins Tuesday, February 25 at 9:00am and ends Friday, March 7 at 4:00pm. A nominee officially becomes a candidate when they have submitted all the required information in the nomination package and have been declared a candidate by the Chief Election Officer (on Friday, March 7, 2025 after 4:00pm).
Read through the information below to learn more about candidate eligibility, nominations, important dates, and more.
A person may become a candidate in a local election as long as they have not been disqualified from seeking or holding elected office. A candidate must:
- Be 18 years of age or older on general voting day
- Be a Canadian citizen
- Have been a resident of B.C for at least six months prior to filing nomination documents
- Not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from being nominated for, being elected to or holding office, or be otherwise disqualified by law
Each candidate must be nominated by at least two eligible electors from the election area where the candidate is seeking to be elected. A nominator must be eligible to vote in the District of North Cowichan as a resident elector or as a non-resident property elector in order to nominate a candidate for office.
The nomination period starts on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 9:00 am and ends Friday, March 7, 2025 at 4:00 pm. The nomination period is the only time during the election process when the Chief Election Officer can accept nomination documents from people who want to run for elected office.
A nominee officially becomes a candidate when they have submitted all the required information in the nomination package and have been declared a candidate by the Chief Election Officer on Friday, March 7, 2025 after 4:00 pm.
Candidate nomination packages will be available for pick up at North Cowichan Municipal Hall during regular business hours, or by downloading a PDF copy below, beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 until 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7, 2025 (end of nomination period).
And if you are an Elector Organization,
3. Elector Organization Endorsement Package
Nomination documents must be submitted by hand to the Chief Election Officer or the Deputy Chief Election Officer unless other arrangements to submit them electronically have been approved by the Chief Election Officer.
Nomination documents that are submitted by nominees are available for public inspection at North Cowichan Municipal Hall during regular office hours from the time they have been submitted until 30 days after the election results have been declared. They will also be available for public inspection by way of the municipal website, though some personal information may be redacted.
An eligible elector, another nominee for office or the local Chief Election Officer can challenge a prospective candidate’s nomination if they believe the nomination documents are incorrect or the person is not otherwise eligible to be nominated for office. Nomination challenges must be made through an application to the Provincial Court. The application must briefly set out the facts upon which the challenge is based and be supported by an affidavit signed by the challenger.
See sections 8 – 8.7 of North Cowichan’s Sign Bylaw No. 3479 for more information on displaying political (campaign) signs.
General rules for posting campaign signs
Campaign signs must not:
- be posted earlier than 36 days before general voting day [March 7, 2025].
- be placed on municipal property including but not limited to:
- Highway meridian
- Traffic circle
- Roundabout
- In a park
- recreation facilities, municipal hall, fire stations or similar facilities
- any tree, planter, utility pole, or mailbox
- obstruct traffic control device or signage
- obstruct a line of vision at an intersection
- create a safety hazard for pedestrians, cyclists or vehicles
- be within one metre of a fire hydrant
- display or advertise any logo, coat of arms, trademark, official mark, or branding, in whole or in part, owned or licensed by the District of North Cowichan
- be within 100 metres of a voting place on general voting day or on an advance voting day
Placing campaign signs by digging or driving stakes into the ground can pose a safety hazard to sign installers and to underground infrastructure (e.g., gas lines, sewer or water lines). Before placing election signs, you may wish to contact BC One Call at 1.800.474.6886 or visit www.bc1c.ca to determine if there are any risks in the area you want to install your sign.
Campaign signs placed within North Cowichan boundaries must be removed within 7 days after the By-election (by April 19, 2025).
Signs placed on Provincial right-of-way
The Ministry of Transportation and Transit regulates sign placement of provincial highways. Please visit their website for more information about advertising and election signs.
Voting day restrictions
Section 163(4) of the Local Government Act prohibits election signs to be placed within 100 metres of a voting place, that includes advance and special voting opportunities. The 2025 By- Elections Important Dates table on the Elections webpage lists all of the voting opportunities.
Regulating election signs – Elections BC
Elections BC is responsible for regulating what information needs to be included on election signage.
Elections BC is responsible for educating candidates on the election advertising requirements set out in the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act (LECFA) and for administering election advertising rules under LECFA. This responsibility includes conducting investigations and enforcing the third-party advertising provisions set out in LECFA.
For more information on these requirements visit Elections BC or refer to Elections BC’s Guide to Local Elections Campaign Financing in B.C. for Candidates and their Financial Agents and Guide for Local Elections Third Party Sponsors in B.C.
Dangerous or unlawful signs
Signs that are deemed to be dangerous to public safety, too close to irrigation lines, or in contravention to section 163 of the Local Government Act, will be removed by bylaw compliance officers and held at the Municipal Hall for 7 days and may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of if not picked claimed within the 7 days.
The Municipality will assume no responsibility for any damage to election signs where the Municipality is compelled to remove improperly placed signs. Candidates and their agents may be liable for any damages done to Municipal property in placement of election signs on public property. All election signs must be removed by April 19, 2025.
District of North Cowichan Bylaws
The following brochures help potential candidates with the nomination process and general questions.
- Thinking About Running for Local Office?
- What Every Candidate Needs to Know
- Candidates Guide to Local Elections
- Foundational Principles of Responsible Conduct
If you’ve decided to run for local office, the four videos listed below will provide you with general information about what you can expect before, during and following by-elections in B.C.
- An overview of elections
- Who the participants are in elections
- The candidate nomination process and requirements
- Voting and taking office
For more local election information visit the Province of BC Website.
What you need to know about posting signs on highway rights-of-way.
Elections BC
Elections BC administers campaign financing, disclosure and election advertising rules under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act.
- Guide to Local Elections Campaign Financing in BC for Candidates and their Financial Agents
- Guide to Local Elections Campaign Financing in BC for Elector Organizations and their Financial Agents
- Guide to Elector Organization Registration
- Local Elections FAQS
- For more local election information visit the Elections BC website
- Statistics information about voter turnout that includes data, graphics, and additional resources for researchers.
For more information, contact Local Elections Campaign Financing at Elections BC:
If you have any questions about the campaign financing and advertising rules in local elections, contact Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683 or electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca.
Elections BC administers campaign financing, election advertising and elector organization registration rules. The Local Elections Campaign Financing Act establishes these rules.
Campaign financing disclosure rules under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act create accountability and transparency around campaign contributions received and election expenses incurred during general local elections, by-elections and assent voting events. Follow the hyperlink below to learn more about Elections BC and their role during By- elections:
If you have questions about… | Contact… |
---|---|
Voting and ballots | Chief Election Officer |
Nomination process | Chief Election Officer |
Advertising rules | Elections BC |
Campaign financing and disclosure rules | Elections BC |
Registration of elector organizations | Elections BC |
Legislation for local elections | Ministry of Municipal Affairs |
For more information about local campaign financing and election advertising rules, read the Local Elections FAQs.
You can also contact the Electoral Finance team at Elections BC:
Phone: 1-800-661-8683 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST)
Email: electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca