It’s civic election day across B.C., and Vancouver polls are open until 8 p.m. | Daily Hive

City of Vancouver civic election voting place sign, October 2026. (Margarita Young/Shutterstock)

If you haven’t voted in your municipality’s civic election yet, today is your last chance to help decide who will lead your community.

Saturday, Oct. 17, is the main voting day for civic elections in communities across British Columbia, including the races for mayors, city councillors, and School Board trustees throughout Metro Vancouver. In the City of Vancouver, voters will also be choosing their next Park Board commissioners.

Today’s election will determine who makes decisions affecting housing, neighbourhood development, streets, parks, community and recreational facilities, public safety, and other services that shape day-to-day life.

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In the City of Vancouver, all 85 election-day voting places are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eligible Vancouver voters can cast their ballot at any of these locations, allowing them to choose somewhere convenient to home, work, or their Saturday plans.

According to the municipal government, the morning began with a rush at the voting stations, but the City reported that queues were moving efficiently.

“After a busy first hour voting, lines moved quickly across the city! Most voting places across the city are now experiencing lower voter volume,” the City stated in its first update just after 9 a.m. today.

Anyone in line when voting closes at 8 p.m. will still be allowed to vote.

vancouver civic election voting locations october 2026 map

Map of City of Vancouver’s voting locations for the October 2026 civic election during advance voting days and civic election day. Click on the image to access the voting map. (City of Vancouver)

Vancouver voters are choosing one mayor, 10 city councillors, seven Park Board commissioners, and nine school trustees. They will also face three capital borrowing plebiscite questions and two non-binding public safety plebiscite questions.

The borrowing plebiscite questions seek approval for a combined $790 million toward transportation infrastructure, community and civic facilities, and parks. The public safety plebiscite asks about strengthening City laws against public hard drug use and requesting the provincial government to create a secure medical facility with voluntary and involuntary care at the old St. Paul’s Hospital or a similar site.

You can still register at a voting place in Vancouver. To register, bring two accepted pieces of identification, both showing your name, with your address on at least one and your signature on at least one. The City also provides an option to make a solemn declaration if you have only one piece of identification.

Eligibility to vote in Vancouver includes being a Canadian citizen, being at least 18 years old today, having lived in B.C. for at least six months immediately before registration, and living in Vancouver. There is no minimum length of residency within the city.

Registered voters should bring their voter information card to help speed up processing.

Today’s vote follows an all-time record for advance voting turnout in Vancouver. Preliminary City figures show more than 103,000 people voted during four advance voting days, compared with 65,127 advance ballots in the 2022 civic election.

Anyone who still has a completed mail ballot must ensure it reaches the City by 8 p.m. today.

There are two separate elections underway. Today is the final voting day for the civic election, while advance voting for the provincial general election runs for six consecutive days from Friday, Oct. 16 to Wednesday, Oct. 21, ahead of provincial election’s main voting day on Saturday, Oct. 24. Casting a provincial ballot does not count as voting in the civic election; the provincial decides the MLA seat for each provincial riding, which will help determine which provincial party forms the next provincial government.

Civic election results will begin appearing online after polls close after 8 p.m. tonight. Daily Hive Urbanized will be providing full coverage.

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