Who May Run
You may run for local government office if you:
- are a Canadian citizen; and
- are at least 18 years old on election day; and
- have lived in BC for at least six (6) months prior to the date of nomination; and
- have not been disqualified from being nominated, elected or holding office.
Please note, you do not have to live in the jurisdiction for which you are running for office. You may file nomination papers for mayor or councillor, not both.
For an overview of what to expect before, during and after the election, check out the video series provided by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.
Who May Not Run
You are not eligible to run for local government office if you:
- are a judge of the Provincial Court, Supreme Court or Court of Appeal;
- are an employee or salaried officer of the local government (unless you have taken a leave of absence to run for office and agree to resign if elected), including if you are running as a regional district electoral area director when employed by a municipality which is a member of that regional district;
- are under sentence for an indictable offence and are in custody or in prison;
- have been found guilty of an elections offence, such as double voting or buying votes and are prohibited from holding office; or
- are disqualified for not filing a disclosure statement in a previous election or for not making an oath of office or attending meetings.
Key Dates for Candidates
July 22, 2022 | Candidate packages available |
August 17, 2022, 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm | Information session for potential candidates |
August 30, 2022 to September 9, 2022 | Nomination period |
July 18, 2022 to September 16, 2022 | Pre-campaign period |
September 17, 2022 to October 15, 2022 | Campaign period |
October 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 2022 | Advance voting opportunities |
October 15, 2022 | General voting day |
October 31, 2022 to November 3, 2022 | New Council orientation |
January 13, 2023 | Deadline for campaign financing disclosure statement |
February 13, 2023 | Late deadline for campaign financing disclosure statement ($500 penalty) |
Your Vote Matters
To vote in the election, you must be:
- 18 years of age or older on October 15, 2022;
- a Canadian citizen;
- a resident of BC for at least 6 months before the day you register to vote;
- a resident of the City of Kelowna or a qualified non-resident property elector; and
- not disqualified from voting.
Eligible voters may vote at one of the in-person voting opportunities or by mail ballot. More information about voting by mail ballot, including how to request a mail ballot package, will be available on this page in late summer.
Find out more about voting in local elections and read the Voter’s Guide to Local Elections in BC. The City of Kelowna does not use a voters list. All voters must register at the time of voting.