The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) will include Mail Ballot Voting as part of the General Local Elections. Qualified electors in RDN Electoral Areas A, B, C, E, F, G, and H can register to vote and cast a ballot by mail, rather than attending in-person at a polling station. The process is regulated by provincial statute, and by the “Regional District of Nanaimo General Local Election Bylaw No. 1772, 2018”.

All eligible electors in Electoral Areas A, B, C, E, F, G, and H are permitted to register to vote by mail and to vote by mail ballot.

In addition to the above requirements, persons must be eligible to vote as an elector or non-resident property elector, in the same manner as a regular voter. Please see the voter eligibility page for more information.

Complete the mail ballot application form and submit it to the RDN Administration office as early as possible. Applications will not be accepted after 4:30 p.m. on October 15, 2026. The form may be submitted online via email, regular mail, in person, or via fax (if faxing please call or email to confirm). The application may also be requested or picked up using the same options, and may also be requested over the phone:

Regional District of Nanaimo
Legislative Services Department
6300 Hammond Bay Road
Nanaimo, BC  V9T 6N2

Email: vote@rdn.bc.ca
Fax: 250-390-4163
Phone: 250-390-4111, toll free 1-877-607-4111

Please note: There is a minimum 48-hour turnaround time between submitting your application and your mail ballot package being ready for pick up.

Once your application to vote by mail ballot is approved by the Chief Election Officer, and as soon as the ballots are available (on or about September 25, 2026), the mail ballot package will be mailed to you by Canada Post, or you can arrange to pick it up at the RDN Administration office. The applicant can request their mail ballot package be sent by courier at the expense of the applicant.

To be counted, your mail ballot must be received by the Chief Election Officer no later than 8 p.m. on general voting day, October 17, 2026, at the Regional District of Nanaimo, 6300 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6N2. Please note that it is the obligation of the person applying to vote by mail ballot to ensure that the mail ballot is received by the Chief Election Officer within this time limit. If the applicant chooses to return the mail ballot by Canada Post or by courier, they are responsible for any associated expenses/postage.

Contact the RDN Chief Election Officer (contact information at the bottom of this page). You will be required to complete a form attesting that you have not received the mail ballot. Once approved, a replacement mail ballot will be provided to you. An elector who receives a replacement ballot is still subject to the requirement that their ballot be received by the Chief Election Officer before the close of voting on general voting day in order to be counted in the election.

Yes, a mail ballot that has been lost or spoiled by the elector may be replaced upon request of the elector. You will be required to return a spoiled ballot, and if the ballot is lost, you will be required to complete a form attesting to that. An elector who receives a replacement ballot is still subject to the requirement that their ballot be received by the Chief Election Officer before the close of voting on general voting day in order to be counted in the election.

RDN Elections Staff will try to contact you and, if time permits, will arrange for you to complete the documentation, and return it to the RDN office.

The mail ballot voting process has several safeguards to ensure that ballots are kept secret and that the rights of electors to privacy are respected. The mail ballot package includes a secrecy envelope into which an elector's ballot is placed and the envelope is then sealed by the elector. The secrecy envelope does not have any external markings to identify the elector and it may only be opened by the Chief Election Officer or Deputy Chief Election Officer on general voting day. In addition, if the number of mail ballots received for any election are deemed insufficient to ensure the secrecy of the ballot, they will be combined with the ballots in another ballot box for the same voting jurisdiction.

When a mail ballot is received by the Chief Election Officer the certification envelope will be examined to ensure that it has been properly completed and, if satisfied as to the elector's entitlement to vote, the secrecy envelope will be deposited unopened in a separate ballot box reserved for mail ballots. On general voting day the secrecy envelopes will be opened, and the ballots will be placed into the respective ballot box for the appropriate voting proceeding. All mail ballots which have been accepted will be counted on general voting day regardless of the day they are received by the Chief Election Officer.

The mail ballot voting process will be available for future RDN elections/referendums, however your application to vote by mail is not permanent and you will be required to re-apply for mail ballot voting for each individual RDN election or referendum. As well you will be required to meet the eligibility criteria when you re-apply on each occasion. For more information about Mail Ballot Voting, please contact the RDN.