General local elections in BC are held every four years on the third Saturday in October. General local elections include elections for municipal councils, regional district electoral areas and boards of education. Useful information and education materials about local elections are available on the BC Government website.
​Village of Telkwa Municipal Elections
The Village of Telkwa Council is made up of one (1) Mayor and four (4) Councillors, who are elected for a four-year term. Only Village of Telkwa residents and non-resident property owners are eligible to vote in the Village of Telkwa municipal election.
About Municipal Elections
These local elections are a shared responsibility between local governments and Elections BC. Local elections must be run in accordance with the Local Government Act, the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, the Community Charter, the School Act, and Election bylaws.
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Full Government of B.C. local election voter guide here.
Download the General Local Election Key Dates Guide here.
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VOTER INFORMATION
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Visit Elections BC website for details on who can vote and to:
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Register to vote if you are 18 years or older.
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Update your voter information such as your residential or mailing address.
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Additional resources:
Voter Eligibility
Resident of Telkwa In order to be eligible to vote in general local elections or by-elections as a resident or non-resident property elector, a person must: - Be 18 years of age or older when they register to vote, or 18 years or older on general voting day - Be a Canadian citizen Have been a resident of B. C. for at least six months immediately before they register to vote - Be a resident of Telkwa on the day they register to vote - Not be disqualified under the Local Government Act, or any other enactment from voting in local elections or be otherwise disqualified by law Non-Resident of Telkwa When a person lives in one jurisdiction and owns property in one or more other jurisdictions, they may vote once in each of the other jurisdictions where they own property - as long as they meet the voter eligibility requirements. A non-resident property elector must: - Be 18 years of age or older when they register to vote, or 18 years or older on general voting day - Be a Canadian citizen - Have been a resident of B. C. for at least six months immediately before they register to vote - Be the registered owner of real property in the jurisdiction where they intend to vote for at least 30 days immediately before they register to vote - Not be disqualified under the Local Government Act, or any other enactment from voting in local elections or be otherwise disqualified by law
How to Register
The Village of Telkwa does same day registration at the time of voting and an eligible voter must provide at a minimum two pieces of acceptable identification at the time of voting. Together, the two pieces must show: - Your name - Your residential address - Include your signature Examples of accepted identification include: - B.C. Driver’s Licence - B.C. Identification Card - B.C. Services Card (counts as one piece of ID when combined with a B.C. Driver’s Licence) - B.C. Care Card or Gold Care Card (counts as one piece of ID when combined with a BC -Driver’s Licence or Services Card) - Canadian Passport - Credit card or debit card - Property tax notice - Certificate of Canadian Citizenship - Government-issued military ID Firearms Possession and Acquisition Licence - Certificate of Indian Status - Current utility bill with your name and address - ICBC Owner’s Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence - Citizenship or membership cards issued by a B.C. First Nation governing body - Métis Nation BC citizenship card - Any other document accepted by the Chief Election Officer
When and Where to Vote
Advance Voting Day Advance voting takes place before general voting day and is open to all eligible voters. You do not need a special reason to vote early. Dates of the two advanced voting opportunities are as follows: - October 7th, 2026 held at Telkwa Community Hall (1390 Birch Street) from 8:00AM - 8:00PM General Voting Day General voting day is Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 8am to 8pm at the Telkwa Community Hall (1390 Birch Street). Mail Ballot Voting Requesting a mail ballot voting package Before 4:00 pm on Friday, October 2nd, 2026, if you wish to vote by mail, you must submit the following information to the Village of Telkwa municipal office; by mail (1415 Hankin Avenue, Telkwa, BC V0J 2X0); telephone (250-846-5212); fax (250-846-9572); or email elections@telkwa.ca: 1. Full name, 2. Residential address, 3. Address of the property in relation to which you are voting (for non-resident property electors), 4. Method of delivery of your mail ballot package: - pick up at office and, if you wish, name of person you authorize to pick up package for you, OR - regular letter mail through Canada Post to residential address, OR - regular letter mail through Canada Post to an alternate address that you provide when requesting the ballot package, and 5. If you are not on the list of electors, to ensure you receive the correct registration application form in your package, you must indicate whether you are going to be registering as a resident or non-resident property elector. To be counted, your mail ballot must be received by the Chief Election officer no later than 8:00 pm on Saturday, October 17, 2026, of General Voting Day.
CANDIDATE INFORMATION
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Become a candidate:
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Find out what comes with running for office:
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Who can run
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Responsibilities
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Candidate resources
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Notices:
Notice of Nomination (See Key Dates Guide)
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Additional resources:
Candidate Eligibility
To be eligible to run in an election or by-election, a person must: - Be 18 years of age or older on general voting day - Be a Canadian citizen - Have been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately before filing nomination documents - Not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election in British Columbia or from being nominated for, being elected to or holding office, or be otherwise disqualified by law A person is ineligible to run in a local election or by-election if they: - Have been convicted of and sentenced for an indictable offence and are in custody - Have been found guilty of an election offence, such as intimidation or vote-buying, and are prohibited from holding office - Are judges of the Provincial Court, Supreme Court or Court of Appeal - Are involuntarily confined to a psychiatric facility or other institution - Have been disqualified for specified reasons such as failing to: - File a candidate disclosure statement in a previous election - Make an oath of office - Attend local government meetings in the manner and frequency required by the Community Charter - Been disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election in British Columbia or from being nominated for, being elected to or holding the office, or be otherwise disqualified by law Eligibility requirements for government employees and volunteers
Nomination Process
Nomination dates (See 2026 Key Dates Guide). Dates to obtain nomination packages will be posted shortly.
Campaign Financing and Third-Party Sponsorships
Campaign Financing Campaign financing rules for local elections are set by provincial legislation and administered by Elections BC. These rules include: who can contribute to a campaign spending limits for candidates and third-party sponsors rules for election advertising public financial disclosure requirements Third-Party Sponsors A third-party sponsor is a person or organization that conducts election advertising independently from any candidate or elector organization. Third-party sponsors must register with Elections BC and must report their campaign financing as required under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. For more information about campaign financing and advertising rules, please visit the Elections BC website.
Upcoming Pre-Election Workshop: August 25th, 2026
This workshop is for new or returning candidates or general voting public.
Telkwa Community Hall 1390 Birch Street | Time TBA