2026 General Local Election

CITY OF FERNIE & SOUTHEAST KOOTENAY SCHOOL DISTRICT (05)

NOTICE OF ELECTION BY VOTING

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an election by voting will be held to elect:

• One (1) Mayor
• Six (6) Councillors
• One (1) School Trustee

The candidates for each office are as follows:

MAYOR

CITY OF FERNIE ELECTORS VOTE FOR MAYOR
One (1) to be elected

 

COUNCILLOR

CITY OF FERNIE ELECTORS VOTE FOR COUNCILLOR
Six (6) to be elected

 

Map of SD 5 Electoral Area 1 

VOTING DATES AND LOCATIONS

GENERAL VOTING DAY

Saturday, October 17, 2026
8:00 am to 8:00 pm

Senior Citizens Drop-In Centre
562 3rd Ave, Fernie, BC

ADVANCE VOTING

Wednesday, October 7, 2026
and
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
8:00 am to 8:00 pm

Senior Citizens Drop-In Centre
562 3rd Ave, Fernie, BC

SPECIAL VOTING OPPORTUNITIES

A special voting opportunity will be available to qualified electors who are admitted patients or facility residents only:

Thursday, October 15, 2026

Trinity Lodge
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
1101 5th Avenue, Fernie

Friday, October 16, 2026

Tom Uphill Manor
11:30 am to 12:30 pm
1301 4th Avenue, Fernie

Elk Valley Hospital
2:00 pm to 2:30 pm
1501 5th Avenue, Fernie

Rocky Mountain Village
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
55 Cokato Road, Fernie

ELECTOR REGISTRATION

There is no need to pre-register to vote, as the registration of all electors for this election will take place at the time of voting.

To register at the time of voting, you will be required to complete the application form available at the voting place and make a declaration that you meet the applicable requirements set out below.

RESIDENT ELECTORS

To register as a resident elector, you must:

• be 18 years of age or older on general voting day, October 17, 2026;
• be a Canadian citizen;
• be a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration (at time of voting);
• be a resident of the City of Fernie on the day of registration (at time of voting); and
• not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or assent voting and not otherwise disqualified by law.

NON-RESIDENT PROPERTY ELECTORS

To register as a non-resident property elector, you must:

• be 18 years of age or older on general voting day, October 17, 2026;
• be a Canadian citizen;
• be a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration (at time of voting);
• be a registered owner of real property in the City of Fernie for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration (at time of voting);
• not be entitled to register as a resident elector; and
• not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or assent voting and not otherwise disqualified by law.

In addition, for non-resident property electors:

• The only persons who are registered owners of the property, either as joint tenants or tenants in common, are individuals who are not holding the property in trust for a corporation or another trust.
• If more than one person is a registered owner of the property, only one of those individuals may, with the written consent of the majority of the owners, register as a non-resident property elector.

IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED

Resident electors must produce two (2) pieces of identification, at least one of which must contain a signature. Picture identification is not necessary. The identification must prove both residency and identity.

Non-resident property electors must produce two (2) pieces of identification, at least one of which must contain a signature, to prove identity; proof that they are entitled to register in relation to the property; and, if there is more than one owner of the property, written consent from the majority of the property owners.

MAIL BALLOT VOTING

REQUESTING A MAIL BALLOT PACKAGE

Before 4:00 pm on October 15, 2026, you must submit the following information to the Chief Election Officer’s office in Fernie by:

Email: electionsofficer@fernie.ca
Mail: Fernie City Hall, Box 190, Fernie, BC V0B 1M0
Telephone: 250-946-7138
Fax: 250-423-3034

You must provide:

1. Full name;

2. Residential address;

3. Address of the property in relation to which you are voting, if registering as a non-resident property elector;

4. Your preferred method of delivery of the mail ballot package: pick up at City Hall in Fernie; or regular lettermail through Canada Post to your residential address; or regular lettermail through Canada Post to an alternate address that you provide when requesting the ballot package; and

5. Whether you will be registering as a resident elector or a non-resident property elector, so that the correct registration application form can be included in your package.

Mail ballot packages will be sent out commencing on or about October 2, 2026.

To be counted, your completed mail ballot must be received by the Chief Election Officer no later than 8:00 pm on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Kevin Allen
Chief Election Officer

General election resources:

• Elections BC 
• Email: electionsbc@elections.bc.ca
• Website: www.elections.bc.ca

Have questions? 

Kevin Allen, Chief Election Officer 

Phone: 250-946-7138

Email: electionsofficer@fernie.ca

Lavinia McElwee, Deputy Chief Election Officer

Tricia Fichter, Deputy Chief Election Officer

 

 

 

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