Information for candidates

What are the qualifications to become a candidate?

Section 38 of the Vancouver Charter states that a person is qualified to be nominated for office, and to be elected to and hold office, as a member of Council if at the relevant time the person meets all the following requirements:

1. the person must be an individual who is, or who will be on general voting day for the election, age 18 or older;
2. the person must be a Canadian citizen;
3. the person must have been a resident of British Columbia, as determined in accordance with section 25, for at least six months immediately before the relevant time; and
4. the person must not be disqualified by this Act or any other enactment from voting in an election in British Columbia or from being nominated for, being elected to or holding the office, or be otherwise disqualified by law.

Campaign Financing Disclosure Statements

In a general local election, there are no limits on the amount of campaign contributions that may be collected or election expenses that may be incurred. However, candidates, elector organizations and campaign organizers are obliged to record all campaign contributions and election expenses and disclose them in a campaign financing disclosure statement, which must be submitted to the City Clerk no more than 120 days after general voting day. If there are any changes or amendments after the disclosure statement has been submitted, they must file a supplementary report. Failure to file a campaign financing disclosure statement or a supplementary report may result in the imposition of significant penalties.

The deadline for submission of campaign financing disclosure statements with respect to the 2011 general local election is March 19, 2012.  

Candidates, elector organizations and campaign organizers wishing to file disclosure statements or supplementary reports should contact the City Clerk’s Office (call 3-1-1).

By law, the campaign financial disclosure statements will be available for public inspection from the time of filing until seven years after general voting day for the election to which they relate. There are two ways to access the disclosures:

1. On the website:
• 2011 disclosures
• 2008 disclosures
• Edited 2005 disclosures - prior to a legislative change in 2008, the 2005 disclosures were edited because at the time, the City was legally required to edit the disclosures by removing personal names and addresses.
  
2. In-person inspection:
   • Hardcopies of the disclosures for the last 7 years are available for inspection at the City Clerk's Office on the 3rd floor of City Hall (453 West 12th Avenue). If you wish to inspect the statements in person, it is recommended that you contact the City Clerk’s Office to make an appointment by calling 3-1-1.

Nomination Documents

Each candidate in a general local election must file nomination documents with the Chief Election Officer.  By law, nomination documents are available for public inspection from the time of delivery until 30 days after the declaration of the election results. Review 2011 nomination documents.

Every candidate who files nomination papers must pay a deposit of $100 to the City. This deposit is refunded after the candidate files a campaign financing disclosure statement (see below).

The period for receiving nominations for the next election (which will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2011) will begin at 9 am on October 4, 2011, and will end at 4 pm on October 14, 2011.

• All candidates must file nomination documents before the election and campaign financing disclosures after the election.
• Download the 2011 Candidate Information Package ( PDF, 635kb)

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