Basics of Municipal Election in Vancouver
Vancouver votes October 17, 2026. Discover the candidates, voting dates, eligibility rules and key issues shaping the city's next four years.
Vancouver Election
By Elke Porter | WBN News Vancouver | September 18, 2026
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Vancouver voters will choose a mayor, 10 councillors, seven Park Board commissioners and nine school trustees on October 17. They will also decide three borrowing questions and two non-binding public-safety questions.
With 131 candidates registered across the four races, voters face a large ballot. The election will shape city spending, infrastructure, parks, education and other services for the next four years.
What Happened
The nomination period closed on September 11. As of September 18, the City lists eight mayoral candidates, 56 candidates for Council, 35 for Park Board and 32 for School Board. Candidates can still withdraw until 4 p.m. today, September 18, so the final list can change. The City will hold its random ballot draw at 5 p.m. today to determine the order of names on the ballot.
Vancouver's municipal offices are elected at large. That means elected officials represent the city rather than individual neighbourhoods or electoral districts. Each position carries a four-year term.
The Mayoral Race
Eight candidates are currently listed for mayor:
- Muhammad Ahmad — Bright Future Vancouver
- Kareem Allam — Vancouver Liberals
- Rebecca Bligh — Vote Vancouver
- Amauri Caliman — Independent
- Pete Fry — Green
- Scott Gilbert — Independent
- Colleen Hardwick — TEAM
- Ken Sim — ABC Vancouver, incumbent
The mayor leads City Council. The mayor and 10 councillors are responsible for municipal services such as bylaws, taxes, streets, sidewalks and water.
10 Council Seats, 56 Candidates
The Council race has the largest field, with 56 candidates competing for 10 seats.
Candidates are running under several registered elector organizations, including ABC Vancouver, OneCity, Vancouver Liberals, Vote Vancouver, Green, COPE, TEAM, Bright Future Vancouver, TrueBlue Vancouver and Affordable Housing, alongside candidates without a listed party affiliation.
Because Vancouver uses an at-large system, voters do not select one councillor for their neighbourhood. Instead, they can select up to 10 candidates from the entire city.
The complete official candidate list is available through the City of Vancouver candidate information page.
Park Board: Seven Seats
Vancouver also elects seven Park Board commissioners.
There are currently 35 candidates in the race. The Park Board is responsible for Vancouver's parks and recreation system, making this election relevant to decisions involving parks, recreation facilities, community amenities and public spaces.
Voters can select up to seven candidates.
School Board: Nine Seats
The Vancouver School Board has nine elected trustees, with 32 candidates currently listed.
The School Board is separate from City Council. It provides elementary, secondary, community and specialized education services in Vancouver, as well as the UBC Lands and University Endowment Lands.
Voters can select up to nine school trustee candidates.
The four elected bodies account for 27 positions.
Who Can Vote?
To vote, you must:
- Be 18 or older on October 17
- Be a Canadian citizen
- Have lived in British Columbia for at least six months immediately before registering
- Live in Vancouver or qualify as a non-resident property elector
- Not be legally disqualified from voting
For a Vancouver resident, there is no minimum number of days you must have lived in Vancouver. Permanent residents who are not Canadian citizens cannot vote in this election.
A Canadian citizen who lives elsewhere in B.C. may also qualify as a non-resident property elector if they own qualifying Vancouver property. Only one eligible owner can register for each property.
When Can You Vote?
Vancouver offers three ways to vote.
Advance voting:
October 3, 7, 10 and 13, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Election Day:
Saturday, October 17, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Vote by mail:
Eligible voters can request a mail ballot. The deadline to request a package for mailing is noon on October 5. Completed ballots must reach the City by 8 p.m. on October 17.
Where Can You Vote?
Most Vancouver voters can vote at any Vancouver voting place, rather than being assigned to one location.
The City provides an online map showing voting places, accessibility information, transit options and voting dates.
There is an important exception for people living in the UBC Lands and University Endowment Lands who do not own Vancouver property. They can vote only for school trustees and have specific voting locations.
Accessible voting support includes priority access, curbside voting, assistance marking ballots, service animals and assistive ballot-marking devices. Language assistance is also available.
Five Questions Beyond The Candidates
The election includes more than candidate races.
Voters will see three Yes/No borrowing questions connected to Vancouver's 2027–2030 Capital Plan.
The City has proposed $3.5 billion in capital investment over four years. Of that amount, $790 million would require voter approval to borrow.
The three borrowing questions cover:
- $292 million for transportation and street infrastructure
- $438 million for community-serving and civic facilities
- $60 million for parks and open public spaces
The money would support projects involving infrastructure such as bridges, streets, sidewalks, community centres, pools, libraries, fire halls, parks and other civic facilities.
Two Public-Safety Questions
Voters will also receive a second ballot containing two non-binding plebiscite questions.
One asks whether Vancouver should strengthen its laws to prohibit open-air use of hard drugs in public spaces.
The other asks whether the City should formally request that the B.C. government convert part of the former St. Paul's Hospital site, or another similar site, into a secure medical facility with voluntary and involuntary care beds for people considered at serious risk because of severe substance-use and mental-health disorders.
These questions are non-binding. The results tell Council what voters think but do not automatically change the law or require Council to take action.
What Is At Stake?
For residents and businesses, the election will affect decisions in several areas.
Taxes and spending: City Council sets budgets and property-tax levels and decides how municipal revenue is used.
Infrastructure: The next Council will oversee decisions about roads, sidewalks, bridges, civic buildings and other infrastructure.
Housing and development: Municipal rules influence development, zoning and the supply and location of new housing.
Public safety: City officials will deal with policing, bylaws, public spaces and the local response to street disorder and substance use, while other responsibilities remain with the provincial and federal governments.
Parks and recreation: The Park Board will make decisions affecting parks, recreation facilities and public spaces.
Education: School trustees will make decisions within the Vancouver School Board rather than City Hall.
For businesses, these decisions can affect operating costs, development opportunities, transportation, neighbourhood conditions, infrastructure and the broader environment in which companies operate.
What Most First-Time Voters Need To Know
The Vancouver ballot is long, but the process is straightforward.
You vote for one mayor, up to 10 councillors, up to seven Park Board commissioners and up to nine school trustees. You can also answer the five Yes/No questions.
You do not have to fill every available candidate position.
For newcomers to Vancouver, one rule is especially important: being a permanent resident is not enough to vote. You must be a Canadian citizen.
The City recommends checking the official candidate information and voting-place information before voting. The candidate list and ballot order may still change on September 18.
Why It Matters
The 2026 Vancouver election will determine who controls municipal decisions for the next four years and whether voters approve $790 million in borrowing authority for the City's next capital program.
The result will affect much more than City Hall. Decisions about infrastructure, taxes, parks, development, public spaces and education can influence residents, employers, property owners and businesses across Vancouver.
The next major milestone comes today, September 18, when candidate withdrawals close at 4 p.m. and the ballot order is determined by random draw at 5 p.m. Voting then begins with advance voting on October 3, followed by Election Day on October 17.
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