Signage and stickers for the Kids Vote for the 2026 election

Vancouver’s youngest head to their own polls this October

September 24 2026 –

In partnership with the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) and CIVIX , children and youth across Vancouver can participate in local democracy by casting their own votes in October through the Kids Vote and Student Vote programs.

Kids vote

This election, children have more opportunities to cast a Kids Vote ballot than ever before. VPL is hosting Kids Vote at branches across the city during the full voting period, from October 3 to 17. This is the first time the program has expanded beyond advance voting days since it debuted in 2018.

Kids Vote gives children in preschool to Grade 3 a hands-on way to try voting, share their opinions and learn about civic participation. The ballot asks four questions: where they like to go for fun in Vancouver, which quality they want in a leader, what they wish they had more time for and what matters most to them in the city.

Parents and guardians can bring their children to any VPL branch to cast a ballot, except Carnegie, which does not have a Children's Collection. Preliminary Kids Vote results will be shared on October 17, before the unofficial election results.

VPL has also created a Kids Vote reading list of books about voting and democracy for children in preschool to Grade 3.

Student Vote

In collaboration with CIVIX, students in Grades 4 to 12 at more than 70 Vancouver schools will take part in Student Vote, a parallel election that lets them experience the voting process firsthand.

Students learn about local government and the electoral process, research the candidates and discuss the election with classmates and family. Students then organize an election and cast votes for the official candidates for Mayor, City Councillor, Park Board Commissioner and School Trustee.

Students will vote during the week leading up to October 17. Preliminary results will be released by CIVIX on election night, after voting closes.

The program is free for schools. Registered teachers receive classroom-ready learning resources and election materials to run a school-wide vote. Registration is open until October 1. Learn more at studentvote.ca

For information about the 2026 Vancouver Election, visit vancouver.ca/vote or call 3-1-1.