By-Elections

By-elections are elections to fill a vacancy arising during a term of office. For example, in February 2021, the City of Terrace announced the resignation of Councillor Jessica McCallum-Miller. As a result of this vacancy, a municipal by-election was held on June 5, 2021.

General Local Elections

General Local Elections are held every four years for Mayor and Council. Candidates are voted in for a four-year term. The next General Local Election will be held in 2022. Electors in Terrace vote to choose:

• One (1) Mayor
• Six (6) Councillors

View the 2018 Official Election Results

View 2018 General Local Elections 101

The unofficial results of the 2021 by-election are as follows: 

Dave Gordon - 477 votes

Alexander Pietralla - 100 votes

Amandeep Singh Saini - 44 votes

Joely Viveiros - 154 votes

General Voting Day

General Voting Day is October 15, 2022, for the upcoming election. Polls will be open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Voting will be held in the Main Arena at the Terrace Sportsplex, 3320 Kalum Street, Terrace, BC and at Cassie Hall Elementary School, 2620 Eby Street, Terrace, BC.

Advanced Voting

Advanced voting opportunities will be held on October 5 and October 12, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. The voting for both Advanced voting opportunities will be held in the Main Arena at the Terrace Sportsplex, 3320 Kalum Street, Terrace, BC.

Mail Ballot Voting

Voters can request a mail ballot package be mailed to them or picked up at City Hall. Requests for mail ballots to be mailed to you can be made until Monday, October 10. If you would like to pick up a mail ballot package at City Hall, you can make that request until October 13. Click on the links below for instructions and a fillable application form.

If you are not already on the List of Electors, you will need to apply along with your application for a Mail Voting Ballot (either as a Resident Elector or Non-Resident Property Elector—if more than one person owns the property, the consent of the other property owner/s is required; see Non-Resident Property Elector – Eligibility, below).

Instructions for mail ballot voting 

Mail ballot voting application form

Please call Ashley McColl at 250-638-4724 if you would like more information on mail ballot voting or if you wish to confirm whether or not you are on the List of Electors.

• All City of Terrace residents who meet the eligibility criteria listed below under Terrace Resident Elector - Eligibility can vote. People who own property in Terrace but live outside Terrace can also vote.
• Landed immigrants who are not yet Canadian citizens are not permitted to vote in civic Elections.
• No corporation is entitled to be registered as an elector or have a representative registered as an elector and no corporation is entitled to vote.

Only City of Terrace residents and non-resident property owners are eligible to vote in the Terrace Election.

View the Voter's Guide to Local Elections in BC

Am I on the voters list?

To vote in a civic Election in Terrace, you must be at the time of voting:

• At least 18 years of age on or before General Voting Day;
• A Canadian citizen;
• Have lived in BC for at least six months;
• Live in the City of Terrace; and
• Not disqualified from voting by any statute or law.

If you own property in Terrace but live somewhere else, you can vote as long as you are:

• At least 18 years of age on or before General Voting Day;
• A Canadian citizen;
• Have lived in BC for at least six months;
• Have owned real property in the City of Terrace for at least 30 days;
• Not eligible to vote as a Resident Elector in the City of Terrace;
• Registered owners of the real property, either as joint tenants or tenants in common, not holding the property in trust for a corporation or another trust;
• Not disqualified from voting by any statute or law.

A qualifying non-resident property elector may register at the polls providing:

• 2 pieces of identification (one with residence address and one with your signature); and
• proof satisfactory to the official that the person applying is entitled to register in relation to the real property (e.g., current year's tax notice from the City of Terrace); and
• if applicable, providing written consent from the other registered property owner/s of the real property.

As a non-resident property elector, you can vote only once, regardless of the number of properties you own. If you have more than one registered owner of your property, only one of you, with the written consent of the majority of the other individuals, may vote. If you have questions about registering as a non-resident property elector, contact the City Clerk's Office at 250-638-4724. 

The City of Terrace uses the Provincial Voters' List; therefore, if you are registered on the Provincial List, you are registered on the City of Terrace Electors' List. In any event, you can register at the polls by meeting the Elector criteria mentioned above, and providing two pieces of identification proving residence and identity, and in the case of non-resident property electors, proof of ownership.

Am I on the voters list?

Get on the Provincial Voter's List or update your information:

Contact Elections BC

The following are deemed to be acceptable identification for the purposes of registering to vote at the Polls (one must contain your signature):

• a British Columbia Driver's Licence;
• a British Columbia Identification Card issued by the Motor Vehicle Branch;
• an Owner's Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence issued by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia;
• a British Columbia CareCard or British Columbia Gold CareCard;
• a Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security Request for Continued Assistance Form;
• a Social Insurance Card issued by Human Resources Development Canada;
• a Citizenship Card issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada;
• a real property tax notice issued under section 237 of the Community Charter;
• a credit card or debit card issued by a savings institution as defined in section 29 of the Interpretation Act; or
• a utility bill issued for the supply of electricity, natural gas, water, telephone services or coaxial cable services.

You are disqualified from voting if:

• You have not completed a sentence for an indictable offence, unless you have been released on probation or parole and are not in custody;
• You have been involuntarily confined to a psychiatric or other institution as a result of being acquitted of or found not criminally responsible for an offence under the Criminal Code on account of a mental disorder; and/or
• You have been found guilty of an Election-related offence.

A person is qualified to be nominated, elected, and to hold office as a member of local government if they meet the following criteria:

• Canadian citizen;
• 18 years of age or older on General Voting Day;
• Resident of BC for at least 6 months immediately before the day nomination papers are filed;
• Are not disqualified by the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an Election in BC or from being nominated for, being elected to, or holding office.

Nomination documents for persons interested in running for the office of Councillor are available starting August 3, 2022, at City Hall. The Deputy City Clerk is available to answer questions regarding the election. You can reach the Deputy City Clerk by phone at 250-638-4724 or email at amccoll@terrace.ca 

Nomination documents must be filed with the City Clerk’s office at City Hall or with the Chief Election Officer during the nomination period. The nomination period starts August 30, 222 at 9:00 am and ends at 4:00 pm on September 9, 2022.

Candidate Information Release Authorization

Your nomination documents are available to the public to view as soon as they are submitted. Consent provided with this form simply allows the municipality to provide additional information to the public and/or media.

Considering running?

Information for Candidates

What Every Candidate Needs to Know

Thinking About Running for Local Office? (brochure)

Thinking About Running for Local Office? (videos and more)

Foundational Principles of Responsible Conduct

Policy 63 - Code of Ethics

Campaigning

Elections BC has announced the campaign spending limits for candidates in the 2022 General Local Election. The limit is $7,087.50 for those running for councillor and $14,175 for candidates running for mayor. Please contact Elections BC regarding any questions about campaign financing.

Election Signs Fact Sheet