Voting signage on a billboard

Advance voting opens Saturday for Vancouver Election

October 1 2026 –

With a record number of vote by mail requests submitted, thousands of Vancouver voters are showing their democratic spirit ahead of the 2026 Vancouver Election. In-person voting begins this Saturday, October 3, when advance voting opens. 

Voters are encouraged to cast their ballot early at any of the 59 advance voting places, open from 8 am to 8 pm on: 

  • Saturday, October 3
  • Wednesday, October 7
  • Saturday, October 10
  • Tuesday, October 13

Election Day is October 17, with 85 voting places open from 8 am to 8 pm. 

What voters need to know

Eligibility:  

To vote, a person must:  

  • be 18 or older on October 17, 
  • be a Canadian citizen, 
  • have lived in B.C. for at least six months immediately before the day of registration, and
  • live in Vancouver or own property registered in their name in Vancouver for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration. 

Registration and ID:

Bring Voter Information Card

  • Registered voters received Voter Information Cards in the mail in mid-September. Voters should bring this card to the voting place for faster processing time. 

Register at the voting place:

  • Voters who are not yet registered can register at any voting place with two pieces of ID. Together they must show:  
    • Name on both pieces
    • Address on at least one piece
    • Signature on at least one piece

Examples of acceptable ID can be found in the online voters guide. 

Plan your vote:

Vancouver’s ballot is long and complex. Voters can prepare using the Plan Your Vote tool to choose candidates, answer Capital Plan borrowing and plebiscite questions, and pick where and when to vote. 

Vote by mail requests at record high

Requests for vote by mail packages have reached more than 18,000, an increase of more than 70 per cent over the 2022 Vancouver Election total of 10,523.  

The last day to request a vote by mail package to be mailed out is October 5 at noon. Voters can apply online, or registered voters can call 3-1-1. 

After October 5, voters can still vote by mail by requesting to pick up a vote by mail package at the Election Office (305 West 8th Ave.) until October 13 at noon. 

Completed ballots must be received by 8 pm on October 17. Voters who pick up their vote by mail package close to the return deadline are advised to use a drop box to ensure their ballots are received and counted. Drop box locations can be found online at vancouver.ca/VotebyMail. 

For more Vancouver Election information, visit vancouver.ca/vote or call 3-1-1. To request voting information in braille, call the Election Office at 604-829-2010.