With local elections now less than three months away, and the nomination period beginning on August 30, those interested in running should begin to familiarize themselves with important dates and information relating to their candidacy.
Running for local government is not something to take lightly, as the responsibility and accountability to community members is great. Being an effective member of Council requires time and a commitment to communicate with constituents, research and read reports and be a collaborative member of the team. It is of the utmost importance that candidates, and later, those who are elected demonstrate integrity, respect and leadership.
To be eligible to run for office in Sparwood, the following criteria must be met for anyone considering running for Mayor, Councillor or School Trustee:
- Be 18 years or older of general voting day
- Be a Canadian Citizen
- Been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months prior to filling in nomination documents
- Not be disqualified to run under the Local Government Act, the School Act or other law.
The nomination period begins at 9:00 am on Tuesday, August 30. Nomination packages will be available mid-August and will remain accessible until the nomination period ends on September 9 at 4:00 pm. Each candidate must be nominated by at least two eligible electors. This means, a nominator must be eligible to vote in the District of Sparwood as a resident elector or as a non-resident property elector. Once nomination packages are complete, they must be submitted by hand to the Chief Election Officer, or the Deputy Chief Election Officer.
Nomination documents that are submitted by nominees are available for public inspection at the District of Sparwood Municipal Office 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 information if they believe the nomination documents are incorrect or the person is not otherwise eligible to be nominated for office.
Following the important steps of the Declaration of Candidates, closure of the nomination challenge period and candidate withdrawal period which occur between September 9 and 16, 2022, candidates may begin to campaign on September 17 until October 15. For those seeking to place signs, a sign permit must be obtained from the District of Sparwood.
Voting dates will be:
Advance voting
• Wednesday, October 5, 2022
• Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Advance voting will take place at the Sparwood Seniors Drop-In Centre – 101-4th Avenue from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
General Voting
• Saturday, October 15, 2022 at the Henry Volkmann Memorial Complex (Leisure Centre) – Arena Concourse, 367 Pine Avenue from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Important information and resources are available on the website at https://sparwood.ca/municipal-hall/election-2022/. Anyone who has questions relating to running for local office may submit questions through the “Contact Us’ form on the website at https://sparwood.ca/contact/, and the questions and answers will be compiled on the FAQ’s section of the Elections Page.
Post Date: July 25, 2022 | Category: News & Updates Send Notification