What you need to know before voting in Vancouver city election 2018

Municipal elections are taking place across the Lower Mainland in just two days, where citizens can decide their city’s next mayor, councillors, school trustees, and, in Vancouver, Park Board commissioners as well. We’ve compiled a short guide of everything you need to know before heading to the polls.

Pickup or download voters’ guide

Available in print (English) at community centres and libraries, or online (Chinese, Punjabi, French), the voters’ guide contains key information about the election like how and when to cast your ballot, the random order candidate list, candidate biographies, and more.

Research

There are 158 candidates running for a seat on Oct. 20. The City of Vancouver has created a Plan Your Vote website where people can read all the profiles, add favourites to a shortlist, as well as answer three Capital Plan borrowing questions about whether the city can borrow money to help pay for certain projects.

Afterwards, a finished plan can be emailed or printed containing your personal candidate selections and where to find them on the ballot (listed in random, rather than alphabetical order), Capital Plan borrowing answers, voting location details and a procedural checklist.

Vote efficiently

Citizens may vote at any of the over 100 designated places around the city, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., which include hospitals, shelters, care facilities and social service drop-in centres. Bring the voter information card that was mailed out — if you haven’t received one, bring two physical pieces of approved identification.

Parents bringing along children under the age of 18 can have them take part in the Kids Vote, a new program designed for the next generation to weigh in on issues relevant to their demographic.