Candidate Information

Members of Council serve their community by making decisions that take into account the well-being and interests of the municipality and the people who live here.

The Community Charter gives Council the authority to set budgets, levy taxes and establish policies to guide the growth, development and operation of the City for the benefit and protection of its residents.

Visit the BC Government website for information and helpful resources on the roles of elected officials in the community. 

Council decisions are made by adopting bylaws and passing resolutions through motions that are debated and discussed at Council meetings. Once a member of Council makes a motion, another member of Council needs to second it and following any discussion all members can vote on it.

These decisions guide the delivery of local services, set policy and determine the City's strategic priorities by providing direction to City staff.

To be eligible to run as a candidate at the time of nomination a person must meet ALL of the following criteria:

• 18 years of age or older on General Voting Day
• Canadian citizen
• Resident of BC for at least six (6) months prior to the date of nomination (by March 10, 2026)
• Not disqualified by any statue or law from voting or being nominated for, elected to or holding office, or not otherwise disqualified by law.
  

A candidate does not have to live in the municipality in which they are running for office. 

Nomination documents will be available from the Legislative Services Office, 455 Wallace Street, Nanaimo, BC starting at 8:30 am on Tuesday, August 4 until the close of the nomination period.

The nomination period begins at 9:00 am on Tuesday, September 1 and ends at 4:00 pm on Friday, September 11.

Candidates may submit their nomination documents in-person, by mail, by fax or by email. Candidates that submit their nomination documents by mail, fax or email must sign the nomination papers in front of a commissioner for taking oaths or affidavits (e.g. lawyer or notary). 

Nominations for office must be made by at least 10 nominators who are eligible voters of the City of Nanaimo.

Nomination documents will be available from the Legislative Services Office, 455 Wallace Street, Nanaimo, BC starting at 8:30 am on Tuesday, August 4 until the close of the nomination period at 4:00 pm on Friday, September 11. 

You can nominate one (1) person for the Office of Mayor and up to eight (8) persons for the Office of Councillor. 

A $100 nomination deposit is required to run for Mayor or Councillor. Nomination deposits are handled in accordance with Section 88 of the Local Government Act. 

When voting is in progress, you must not do any of the following at or within 100 metres of a voting location (the building):

• Canvass, solicit votes or otherwise influence voters
• Display, distribute, post or openly leave a representation of a ballot marked for a particular result in the voting
• Post, display or disturb election advertising or any materials that identifies a candidate or elector organization
• Carry, wear or supply a flag, badge or other thing indicating that the person using it is a supporter of a candidate, elector organization or result in the voting
  

Division 18 of the Local Government Act outlines these and other election offences (vote buying, intimidation, etc.) and penalties. 

For information on requirements regarding political signage, visit our political signage page.

A candidate may appoint one individual to act as the candidate’s official agent to represent the candidate from the time of appointment until the final determination of the election.

Scrutineers can be appointed to represent the candidate by observing the conduct of voting and counting proceedings for the election in accordance with Section 102 of the  Local Government Act. To learn more about scrutineers, review the Scrutineer’s Guide to General Local Elections in B.C. prepared by the Province. 

The forms to appoint candidate representative(s) will be provided with the candidate nomination package and must be returned to the Chief Election Officer once representative(s) are appointed.