Castlegar's by-election to fill the vacant city councilor seat is just over a month away, but the deadline for candidates to turn in their candidate nomination packages is 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23.
Anyone wishing to run can download a nomination package from the City of Castlegar's website or pick one up at City Hall. To be qualified to run, you must be a Canadian citizen 18 years of age or older and a resident of BC for at least six months. Nominees must be nominated by two resident electors.
Advance voting will be held downtown at the Castlegar Community Forum Oct. 18-19 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Regular voting will take place Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Castlegar Community Complex between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. There will also be two special voting opportunities on the same day for residents, patients and staff of Castlegar's two care facilities. Qualified individuals can vote at Talarico Place between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. and at Castleview Care Centre between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
In order to vote as a resident elector, you must be a Canadian citizen 18 years of age or older, a resident of BC for at least six months and a resident of Castlegar for at least 30 days.
To vote as a non-resident property elector, you must be a Canadian citizen 18 years of age or older, a resident of BC for at least six months and be a registered owner of real property within the City of Castlegar for at least 30 days.
If a person is already registered on the voters list, there is no ID requirement at the time of voting, although a solemn verbal declaration will have to be made by the elector to ensure that they are the person named on the voters list. Although it is not required to vote, staff will ask if you have ID in an effort to help speed up the process during the ballot assignment.
If a person is not already registered on the voters list and they are eligible to vote, at least two ID documents must be shown that provide evidence of the person's identity and place of residence, at least one of which must contain the person's signature. Alternately, in addition to the identity documents, a person can make a solemn declaration as to the person's place of residence. Acceptable forms of identification include a BC driver's license, BC ID card, BC care card, BC gold care card, social insurance card, certificate of vehicle insurance (ICBC), Canadian citizenship card, credit cards, debit cards, property tax notice, utility bill or form SDES8 from the Ministry of Social Development.
The successful candidate will serve a two-year term, which will expire in October 2018, in conjunction with the next municipal elections.
The Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a candidates forum the evening of Oct. 12 at the Castlegar Complex.