District of Lantzville

Ready to vote in the 2022 General Local Election?

Who is eligible to vote?

You can vote in the District of Lantzville General Local Election as a Resident Elector if you are:

a Canadian citizen;
18 years of age or older when you register to vote, or 18 years or older on General Voting Day;
a resident of BC for at least six months immediately before the day you register to vote;
a resident of the District of Lantzville; AND
not disqualified under the Local Government Act, or any other enactment, or by law from voting in a local election.

Voting rights are granted to Canadian citizens based on residency or property ownership. There is no vote for landed immigrants or permanent residents that are not yet Canadian citizens. There is no corporate or business vote in local elections in British Columbia.

Own property in Lantzville but do not live here?

If you do not live in Lantzville, but own property here, you can vote as a Non-resident Property Elector (NRPE) if you:

are eligible to vote as a Resident Elector in another municipality or regional district in BC and not in Lantzville [i.e. a Canadian citizen, 18 year of age or older, a resident of BC for at least six months, a resident of another local government in BC, and not disqualified];
own property in the District of Lantzville for at least 30 days immediately preceding the day of registration; AND
not disqualified under the Local Government Act, or any other enactment, or by law from voting in a local election.

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 on the District consent form, by the majority of the owners of that property.

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.

Regardless of the number of properties owned, a person may only register to vote once as a NRPE.

How to confirm if where you live, or own property, is within the District of Lantzville

How do you know if you are a resident of, or if the property you own is within the boundaries of, the District of Lantzville? Some area residents may have a Lantzville postal address but are actually located within an electoral area of the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) and will need to go to a different Voting Place. One test is, to whom do you pay your property taxes, the District of Lantzville or the Province of BC? You can also check the address of where you live or own property on the Lantzville Interactive Map or the District of Lantzville Street Address Index - Apr 25, 2022, or call Municipal Hall to confirm. If you find that you are a RDN electoral area resident or property owner (and not within the District of Lantzville), please visit the RDN website, or contact their Corporate Administration Offices, 6300 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, in person or by phone at 250.390.4111 or 1.877.607.4111 (toll free) for requirements and information on their electoral area election process.

Register to Vote

Advance registration closes on August 23, 2022; however, eligible electors not on the current List of Registered Electors may register at the time of voting. The District of Lantzville uses the Provincial List of Electors as the base for our voters list, to which we add Non-resident Property Elector registrations and new Resident Elector registrations of qualified electors not shown on the Provincial list.

Use Election BC's online voter registration system to:

register to vote or check if you are already registered to vote
update your voter registration, e.g. address or name change
if you are 16 or 17 years old, register now to be automatically added to the voters list when you turn 18.

ID is not required at the time of voting if your name is on the List of Registered Electors. Electors wishing to register for the first time must produce two pieces of identification that provide evidence of the applicant's identity and place of residence, one of which must include the applicant's signature or, alternately, provide two pieces of identification verifying identity in addition to making a solemn declaration as to the applicant's place of residence. Acceptable Documents for Identification for Elector Registration per Local Government Elections Regulation 380/93.

To register at the Voting Place as a Non-resident Property Elector, you must complete and bring a NRPE Registration form and a Consent form signed by yourself and a majority of your co-owners, if applicable, with a recent Title Search to confirm the names on title and that there is no corporation on title. New NRPE registrants are encouraged to contact the Chief Election Officer at 250.933.8082, to review your forms to ensure you have everything required to register on Voting Day if you have not registered by the August 23, 2022 close of advance registration.

Guide for Electors Living on Reserve

VOTING OPPORTUNITIES

Qualified Resident and Non-resident Property Electors can choose from several voting opportunities for the 2022 General Local Election, including Advance Voting, voting on General Voting Day or Vote by Mail.

ADVANCE VOTING DAYS - 8:00 am-8:00 pm, Wednesday, October 5th & 12th, 2022, Costin Hall, 7232 Lantzville Road

Advance Voting is open to all electors - all ballots are counted when general voting closes on October 15th at 8:00 pm.

GENERAL VOTING DAY - 8:00 am-8:00 pm, Saturday, October 15, 2022, Costin Hall, 7232 Lantzville Road

VOTE BY MAIL

Vote by Mail is open to all electors and includes methods other than by mail, e.g. picking up and dropping off in person.

Electors who wish to vote by mail can complete and submit an Application to Vote By Mail (available on-line and at Municipal Hall by September) or contact the Chief Election Officer at Municipal Hall, 7192 Lantzville Road or 250.933.8082 to request an application to receive a mail ballot package. On the form you will indicate if you or someone else will be picking up your mail ballot package at the Municipal Hall or if you want the package mailed to your residence or another address. If we receive your application late and time may not permit mailing, you should arrange to pick up a package at the Municipal Hall and/or for delivery by courier. NOTE: Date of ballot availability is subject to printer delivery - currently estimated to be the end of September.

It is the elector's responsibility to ensure that their mail ballot is received by the Chief Election Officer before the close of voting at 8:00 pm on Saturday, October 15, 2022 at Costin Hall 7232 Lantzville Road. Please read the information on the Application to Vote by Mail and in the mail ballot package carefully, to ensure that you do not miss the opportunity to vote and complete the multi-envelope, certification, and ballot marking process as required.

Do you need assistance to vote?

Accessible - The Voting Place (Costin Hall on October 5th, 12th and 15th) is wheelchair accessible.

Curbside voting - If you can make it to the Voting Place but are unable to enter the Voting Place because of physical disability or impaired mobility:

call the Deputy Chief Election Officer at 250.714.4093; OR
have someone come into the Voting Place;

and ask for "curbside voting". Election Officials will: Bring a ballot to you in your vehicle in the parking lot, wait while you mark the ballot, and deposit the ballot into the vote counting unit in the Voting Place, on your behalf.

Marking your ballot - You can ask an election official, friend or relative to help you if you are unable to mark your own ballot. The Local Government Act requires the person assisting an elector to first sign a solemn declaration with the Chief Election Officer to commit to: preserve the secrecy of the ballot, mark the ballot as you instruct and not attempt to influence how you vote.

Translation - Bring someone to assist you if you need a translator. The translator will also need to sign a solemn declaration that they are able to make the translation and will do so to the best of their ability.

NOTE: Candidates, their representatives and financial agents must not assist electors

How do you mark the ballot?

After signing the voting book, with your declaration that you are eligible to vote and have not voted before in this election, and receiving your ballot, immediately proceed to a voting booth to mark your ballot. The names of the candidates for Mayor, Councillor and School Trustee will be listed in alphabetical order by the last name.

The District of Lantzville uses an automated vote counting system. Votes marked on the ballot are 'read' by an optical scanning device in the vote counting unit. Do NOT mark you ballot with a tick or an X. Instead, follow the instructions on the ballot, and mark the ballot by completely filling in the oval next to the candidate(s) of your choice, using only the special marking pen provided.

Under voting (voting for fewer candidates than seats available, e.g. for one Councillor instead of four) or not voting at all in some races, is legal and votes will be counted.

If you inadvertently spoil your ballot, ask an election official for a new ballot.

After marking your ballot, place it in a secrecy folder or hold it so it is not visible, and proceed to the vote counting unit. Place your ballot face down on the vote counting unit and wait to confirm the ballot was accepted. Simple!

If the vote counting unit does not accept the ballot, the election official at the vote counting unit will assist you by confirming the error message, e.g. if you have over voted - by voting for too many candidates. Again you will have an opportunity to return the spoiled ballot and receive a new ballot.

Voting Day rules and regulations!

Here are some of the key rules to follow on Voting Days:

No campaigning within 100 metres of the Voting Place, including no displaying signs, ads, bumper stickers, posters, buttons, flyers or other material that advocates for or against a candidate
No influencing voters within 100 metres of the Voting Place
Only eligible electors are permitted in the Voting Place - and they must leave immediately after voting. 'Future voters' (children) are welcome, subject to close adult supervision
Voting is by a secret ballot - no talking about how you or someone else votes, no displaying your ballot and only one person per voting booth
No vote buying or intimidation
No signing false statements or declarations
Turn off all cameras, phones and technology BEFORE entering the Voting Place - it is unlawful to reproduce a ballot.

Other Resources & Guides

NOTE: Guides will be updated to 2022 editions when available

Voters