On October 31, 2024, Councillor Debra Toporowski announced that she was stepping down from her role as Councillor, as she was recently elected as MLA for the Cowichan Valley. By-elections in B.C. are held between general local elections to fill a vacancy on a municipal council.
North Cowichan's By-Election will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2025 with advance voting opportunities being held on Wednesday, April 2 and Tuesday, April 8.
This page will provide you with information on voting, including how to register, where to vote, and important dates. Whether you're voting for the first time or have voted before, you'll find helpful resources here.
Advance Voting Opportunities
Advance voting opportunities will be conducted on April 2 and 8 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the North Cowichan Municipal Hall, at 7030 Trans-Canada Highway.
General Voting Day
General voting will be conducted on Saturday April 12, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at the following locations:
1. Municipal Hall, 7030 Trans-Canada Highway
2. Chemainus Firehall, 9901 Chemainus Road, Chemainus
3. Crofton Firehall, 1681 Robert Street, Crofton
4. Maple Bay Firehall, 1230 Maple Bay Road, Duncan
5. Cowichan Community Centre – Multi-Purpose Hall, 2687 James Street, Duncan
View the 2025 By-Election Voting Locations map.
A RESIDENT ELECTOR
To vote as a resident elector, a person must:
• be 18 years of age or older on General Voting Day;
• be a Canadian citizen;
• have been a resident of BC for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration;
• be a resident of the municipality on the day of registration; and
• not be disqualified under the Local Government Act, or any other enactment from voting in an election or be otherwise disqualified by law.
A NON-RESIDENT PROPERTY ELECTOR
When a person lives in one jurisdiction and owns property in one or more other jurisdictions, they may vote once in each of the other jurisdictions where they own property -- as long as they meet the voter eligibility requirements.
If a person owns a property with one or more other individuals, only one person is eligible to vote as the non-resident property elector for that property. The owner entitled to vote must be designated, in writing, by the majority of the property owners.
A person cannot vote on behalf of a corporation, or as a non-resident property elector, based on a property owned wholly or in part by a corporation.
Resident Elector
The District of North Cowichan uses the provincial voters list as the register of resident electors. The provincial voters list becomes the official list of electors for the District of North Cowichan on the 52nd day before general voting day, being February 19, 2025.
If you are a RESIDENT ELECTOR and are uncertain whether you are on the provincial voters list, please contact Elections BC by phone at 1-800-661-8683 or by visiting their website and filling out the online voter registration form. The last extraction of the provincial voters list prior to the April 12, 2025 by-election will be produced by Elections BC on January 16, 2025 so the timeframe to register in advance is very small. You must register prior to January 1, 2025 to ensure your name is included in the final register of electors. If you miss registering in advance of the January 1, 2025 deadline, and you meet all of the elector requirements noted above, you can still register at the time of voting by providing 2 pieces of acceptable identification.
Non-Resident Property Elector
The District of North Cowichan maintains a register of non-resident property electors. This register becomes the official list of non-resident property electors for the District of North Cowichan on the 52nd day before voting day, being February 19, 2025.
If you are a NON-RESIDENT PROPERTY ELECTOR and are uncertain whether you are on the register of non-resident property electors, please contact Andrea Hainrich, Deputy Corporate Officer by phone: 250-746-3100, or by email: election@northcowichan.ca. Advance non-resident property elector registrations will be accepted at District of North Cowichan office until January 15, 2025. Non-resident property elector registrations will not be accepted during the period from January 16, 2025 to April 11, 2025, but will be accepted on voting days.
To register as a non-resident property elector you are required to fill out the Registration Form and the Consent Form if there is more than one property owner. You must register by January 15, 2025 to ensure your name is included in the final register of electors. If you miss registering in advance of the January 15, 2025 deadline, and you meet all of the non-resident property elector voter eligibility requirements, you can still register at the time of voting.