Welcome to class!

Muni Uni is North Cowichan’s online learning centre, aimed at helping adults (and kids) strengthen their knowledge about local governments and how they work.

Muni Uni is an ongoing year-round educational campus. Monthly subjects will provide a transparent and high-level overview on wide-ranging topics such as elections and voting, annual budget planning, business planning, property taxes, infrastructure renewal/asset management, how much things cost, what level of government does what, and more.

Muni Uni students will be encouraged to check in each month and learn about the topic, then take a short “exam” to show what was learned.

Class participants will also have a chance to win prizes!

In Canada, federal and provincial elections are conducted by independent electoral agencies, and municipal elections conducted by appointed election officials. Voters elect representatives to the House of Commons (federal), provincial legislatures (the BC Legislature), and local councils (North Cowichan mayor and council) using a first-past-the-post system. Local election ballots also include candidates for school trustees.

All levels of government hold elections every four years on a fixed date. Federal and provincial elections can also take place if the prime minister or provincial premier requests an early election or if the sitting government loses a confidence vote. Local elections in B.C. are every four years, on the third Saturday in October.

Who can vote

To vote in an election anywhere in Canada you must be:

• A Canadian citizen
• 18 years of age on election day
• A resident of the province or local government area for provincial and local elections (for a local election, have lived in B.C. for at least six months and be a resident of North Cowichan on the day of registration)
• Not be disqualified from voting under the Local Government Act or any other enactment

For local elections in B.C., you may also be eligible to vote as a non-resident property elector if you own property in a local jurisdiction where you do not reside. To qualify, you must have been a registered owner of real property in North Cowichan for at least 30 days immediately before registering to vote.

• Read more about being an elector in North Cowichan at northcowichan.ca/voters
• If you’re not on the provincial voters list, register online https://eregister.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/ovr/
• On general voting day (October 17), from 8am to 8pm, at 6 different locations
• At advance polls on October 7 and October 13, from 8am to 8pm, at Municipal Hall
• My mail (you need to request a mail in ballot)
• If for any reason you are unable to enter a polling location, election staff can bring a ballot to you outside the building

How to register to vote

North Cowichan does not send out voter registration cards (though you may get one ahead of a federal or provincial election).

North Cowichan uses the provincial voters list provided by Elections BC. Even if you are not on the Elections BC list, you can still vote! You just need to register at the time of voting (if you meet the eligibility requirements). Simply bring two pieces of identification with you to the voting location. Acceptable ID includes official government documents such as a driver’s licence, BC ID or services card, vehicle insurance papers, property tax notice, credit or debit card, utility bill, etc., with at least one piece with your signature. There is a full list on northcowichan.ca/voters

How to vote

There are many ways, places, and times you can vote. You can vote at any time and any location (but only once!).

• On general voting day (October 17), from 8am to 8pm, at 6 different locations
• At advance polls on October 7 and October 13, from 8am to 8pm, at Municipal Hall
• By mail (you need to request a mail in ballot)
• Curbside voting - If for any reason you are unable to enter a polling location, election staff can bring a ballot to you outside any one of the polling locations

North Cowichan’s election staff also offer special voting opportunities at the Cowichan District Hospital and at The Hamlets retirement home for eligible residents, patients, and staff only.

When you arrive at the polling location, staff will direct you to the right table. There, staff will provide you with a paper ballot. Step behind the privacy screen and use the pen provided to mark your choices.

The ballot will include candidates for mayor, for council, and for school board trustees. You can vote for up to 1 person for mayor, up to 6 for council, and up to 7 school board trustees. You don’t have to vote for the maximum number!

Once you’ve made your selections, place your ballot in the secrecy sleeve provided and head to the voting machine, where election staff will help you feed your ballot into the machine.

Tallying votes and determining the winners

Voting machines make the job of counting ballots simple. Once polls close and everyone in line has voted, election staff will begin the process of tabulating votes at each poll, then all the polls will be added together.

North Cowichan will share preliminary results as soon as they are available, and then official results by October 21.

The voting machines North Cowichan uses are tabulating devices – they count the marks made on the ballot and provide simple reports showing the number of votes for each candidate. Voting machines are thoroughly tested before and after being used and do not have any technology that could be used to connect to the internet.

North Cowichan’s newly elected mayor and council will begin their four-year term in November.