Students: Vote in the Municipal Elections!

Voting in the lower mainland municipal elections (Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam, etc.) happens on Saturday, November 15. For students aged 18 years and older.

Mark your calendar, get involved in the SFSS Advocacy campaign, learn about the issues, and vote!

Issues your municipal government deal with include transit (as part of Metro Vancouver's Translink), zoning (including housing issues) and urban density, and more. You will also be voting for your school trustees, which review how schools operate in your area.

For information about the Canadian Auto Workers' More Buses Now campaign, check out their website.
For information about the Social Planning and Research Council of BC's Municipality Votes! campaign, check out their website.
For the Vancouver Sun's review of all candidates running in the BC election, check out their website.

Some munipalities such as Vancouver and Burnaby have traditionally run with slate-based team, like political parties, for mayor and council. Other municipalities run on a strict candidate-only basis. Check out the information below to see how voting works in your area.

Vancouver (20.7% of SFU students)

Voter information (including Advance Voting, Candidates and Registration)
- Voting for Mayor, Councillors, Parks Commissioners and School Trustees

Local Media to consult

Vancouver Candidates

In Vancouver, four elector organizations are contesting this election, as well as independent candidates. Here are links to these elector organizations, in alphabetical order:

Non Partisan Association (NPA) - Peter Ladner for Mayor (aligned with the BC Liberal Party)
Nude Garden Party - Patrick Britten for Mayor
Vision Vancouver - Gregor Robertson for Mayor (aligned with the BC New Democratic Party) (running on a joint slate with the Coalition of Progressive Electors and the Vancouver Green Party)
Work Less Party - Betty Krawczyk for Mayor (aligned with the BC Work Less Party)

Vancouver Debates you can attend

November 3 @ 7:00 pm (until 9:30 pm)
Location: 3737 West 27th Avenue - Saint Philip’s Church
Theme: Issues affecting the Dunbar Residents' Assocation and local community.
More info: Susan Chapman, Co-president, Dunbar Residents’ Assoc. - 604-266-5222
November 5 @ 7:00 pm
Location: 1130 Jervis Street - Saint Paul's Anglican Church
Theme: Mayoral debate hosted by Xtra West (LGBT publication)
More info: http://www.xtra.ca/public/Vancouver.aspx

Burnaby (19.5% of SFU students)

Voter information (including Advance Voting, Candidates and Registration)
- Voting for Mayor, Councillors and School Trustees

Local Media to consult: Burnaby Now

Burnaby Candidates

In Burnaby, three elector organizations are contesting this election, as well as independent candidates.
Here are links to these elector organizations, in alphabetical order:

Burnaby Citizens Association - Derek Corrigan for Mayor (aligned with the BC New Democratic Party)
Independent Voices - not contesting the mayor but running council candidates
TEAM Burnaby - Andrew Chisholm for Mayor (aligned with the BC Liberal Party)

Burnaby Debates you can attend

November 12 @ 7:00 pm (until 9:00 pm)
Location: Capitol Hill Hall - Howard at Hastings
Theme: General mayoralty and candidates' debate
More info: n/a

Surrey (13.4% of SFU students)

Voter information (including Advance Voting, Candidates and Registration)
- Voting for Mayor, Councillors and School Trustees

Surrey Candidates

In Surrey, two elector organizations are contesting this election, as well as independent candidates.
Here are links to these elector organizations, in alphabetical order:

Surrey Civic Coalition (SCC) - not contesting the mayor but running candidates for council and school trustees
Surrey First - Dianne Watts for Mayor
Surrey Education Team (SET) - not contesting the mayor but running candidates for school trustees

Surrey Debates you can attend

November 4 @ 7:00 pm
Location: 15751 - 16 Avenue - Earl Marriott Secondary School Theatre
Theme: general
More info: Semiahmoo Residents Association - njacques@shaw.ca

Coquitlam (9.2% of SFU students)

Voter information (including Advance Voting, Candidates and Registration)
- Voting for Mayor, Councillors and School Trustees

One elector organization running in Coquitlam is the Coquitlam Civic League.

Coquitlam Debates you can attend

November 4 @ 7:00 pm (until 9:00 pm)
Location: 820 Banting Drive - Banting Middle School Gymnasium
Theme: Mayoral and council candidates debate
More info: Burquitlam Community Association - Jacquie Innes at bcamail@shaw.ca
November 5 @ 7:00 pm (until 10:00 pm)
Location: 1200 Cartier Avenue - Place Maillardville Community Centre
Theme: Mayoral and council candidates debate
More info: Barb Hobson at 604-939-4566
November 6 @ 7:00 pm (until 9:00 pm)
Location: 1250 Pinetree Way - Douglas College – David Lam Campus Lecture Theatre A1470
Theme: Mayoral and council candidates debate
More info: Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce - Susanna Walden at 604-464-2716
November 6 @ 7:00 pm (until 9:00 pm)
Location: 820 Banting Drive - Banting Middle School Gymnasium
Theme: School trustees debate
More info: Burquitlam Community Association - Jacquie Innes at bcamail@shaw.ca
November 12 @ 7:00 pm (until 9:00 pm)
Location: 1250 Pinetree Way - Douglas College – David Lam Campus Room C1008/C1009
Theme: Mayoral and council candidates debate
More info: Coquitlam Civic League, Smart Growth BC and the Canadian Cancer Society

Richmond (6.8% of SFU students)

Voter information (including Advance Voting, Candidates and Registration)
- Voting for Mayor, Councillors and School Trustees

In Richmond, three elector organizations are contesting this election, as well as independent candidates.
Here are links to these elector organizations, in alphabetical order:

Richmond Citizens Association - not contesting the mayor but running candidates for council and school trustees
Richmond First Voters Society - not contesting the mayor but running candidates for council and school trustees
RITE - Richmond Independent Team of Electors - not contesting the mayor but running candidates for council and school trustees

More information: http://www.richmond.ca/electionservices/candidates/candidate-mtgs.htm

Port Coquitlam (5.3% of SFU students)

Voter information (including Advance Voting, Candidates and Registration)
- Voting for Mayor, Councillors and School Trustees

North Vancouver, New Westminster, Delta, Langley, Port Moody, Maple Ridge, West Vancouver, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Pitt Meadows, and White Rock are also holding elections.