General Voting Day - October 17

October 16, 2026

Voting polls will be open Saturday, October 17, for qualified electors at the Fernie Senior Citizens Drop-In Centre (562 - 3rd Avenue) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The City of Fernie will be using automated vote counting machines for the 2026 election. Voters will mark a paper ballot and have the option to feed their ballot into the machine themselves or have an election worker do it for them. Visit fernie.ca/election for more information. 

Preliminary election results are expected to be available shortly after polls close at 8:00 p.m. Results will be posted on the City's website as soon as they are available. 

Am I eligible to vote?  

Pre-registration is not needed to vote in the 2026 General Local Election. To be qualified to vote, you will be required to make a declaration that you meet the following requirements:

  • 18 years of age or older on general voting day
  • Canadian citizen
  • resident of BC for at least 6 months immediately preceding the day of registration
  • be a resident of the City of Fernie on the day of registration (at time of voting); and
  • not disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or 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.

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

Non-resident property electors must produce 2 pieces of identification (at least one with 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.