2026 GLE - Candidate Information

2026 General Local Elections - Candidate Information

Are you eligible to run for office?

A person is qualified to be nominated for, elected to, and hold office on a local government if they meet the following criteria:

  • are 18 years of age or older on general voting day: Saturday, October 17, 2026; and
  • are a Canadian citizen; and
  • are a resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately before the date of nomination; and
  • are not disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from being nominated for, being elected to or holding the office, or otherwise disqualified by law.

A person is specifically disqualified from being nominated for, being elected to or holding office on a local government, if they fall within any of the following categories:

  • are a Judge of the Provincial Court, Supreme Court or Court of Appeal; or
  • are an employee or salaried officer of the local government [unless a leave of absence is taken to run for office and agrees to resign if elected]; including if they are running as a regional district electoral area director when employed by a municipality which is a member of that regional district; or
  • are under sentence for an indictable offence and are in custody or in prison; or
  • have been found guilty of an election offence; or
  • are disqualified from candidacy under any law or enactment (i.e., failure to file a candidate disclosure statement in the previous election, not making an oath of office, etc.)

Nomination Packages

Nomination packages for the 2026 General Local Elections will be available for pickup (DATE TBD) in person at the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) Administration Office, 6300 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, B.C. Nomination packages are also available electronically below. 

Candidates may file nomination papers with the Chief Election Officer (CEO) at the RDN Administration Office during the Nomination Period, beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, and ending at 4 p.m. on Friday, September 11, 2026. Those persons unable to deliver nominations in person may swear the documents before a commissioner for taking affidavits in B.C. and mail, deliver, fax, or email documents to the attention of the CEO by the deadline. From the time of receipt, the nomination documents are available to the public for inspection at the RDN Administration Office. As authorized by the Local Government Act, public access to nomination documents will be provided by posting the documents on the RDN website as soon as practicable after the time of delivery to the Chief Election Officer until 30 days after the declaration of the election results under the Local Government Act.

Resources

More information will be posted here as it becomes available.

Electoral Area Director

Islands Trust - Trustee

  • Islands Trust - Trustee - Nomination Package (Coming soon)

Elector Organizations - Electoral Area Director

Elector Organizations - Islands Trust - Trustee

Candidate Information Sessions

THINKING OF RUNNING FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT?

Are you thinking of running for local government in the October 17, 2026, general local elections? Attend a Candidate Information Session to learn what being an elected official for a municipality or the regional district is all about. The session will cover the duties and commitments of municipal and electoral area elected officials, as well as key information about the election process. For those unable to attend, the first session was recorded and can be accessed below.

Both sessions cover the same material. Attendance is drop-in and registration is not required.

Session 1
Date: Wednesday, July 15
Time: 6 – 9 p.m.
Location: RDN Board Chambers, 6300 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo
Video Recording: Candidate Information Session July 15 Video		Session 2
Date: Wednesday, August 12
Time: 6 – 9 p.m.
Location: Tigh-Na-Mara, Grand Strathcona Room, 1155 Resort Drive, Parksville, B.C.

Candidate Information Session

For more information, please contact:

Thinking of Running for Office?

Serving your community can be very rewarding and there are many good reasons to run for office including:

  • being an active participant in the local decision-making process;
  • being able to provide your expertise and experience to the community; and
  • the opportunity to deal with issues, both small and large, in your community and to lead change.
What is Local Government? (2018)

Characteristics of Effective Locally Elected Officials (2018)

Prepare yourself:

  • Attend Board and Committee meetings to learn about priority issues/projects and observe what being a Director on the RDN Board might be like
  • Read the Regional District's key planning documents and reports
  • Get to know key groups in the community to understand the diversity of interests in our area
  • Research the internet for information about regional districts and basic facts about the local government system in B.C.

Testing your Readiness for Local Office (2018)

Local Government Decision Making (2018)

Roles and Responsibilities of Elected Officials (2018)

Additional Resources, Guides, and Videos

For additional information please see Resources and FAQs.