The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees Canadian citizens the right to run for office in a provincial election. In a provincial election candidates run for the office of Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). More information on the role of an MLA is available from the Legislative Assembly website.
You can run in a provincial election in B.C. if you are:
You can only run in one electoral district at a time and you do not need to live in the electoral district you are running in.
Municipal councillors, school trustees, and other local officials can run in provincial elections. Sitting judges of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal and members of the House of Commons can not run in provincial elections.
If you want to be associated with a registered political party on the ballot, you must seek the nomination from the political party before submitting nomination documents to Elections BC.
Elections BC is now accepting nomination applications for the next Provincial General Election, scheduled for October 19, 2024.
Candidates are encouraged to file standing nomination applications as early as possible. Nominations for the 43rd Provincial General Election will be under the new electoral boundaries which will come into effect when the election is called. View the new electoral district boundaries here.
For more information contact Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683 or at EBCNominations@elections.bc.ca.
Elections BC is now accepting nomination applications for the next provincial general election, scheduled for October 19, 2024.
Candidates are encouraged to file standing nomination applications as early as possible, which helps to ensure they receive important information from our office before the election. The best way to submit your application is through Elections BC Services.
Standing nominations are candidate nominations submitted before a general election is called. Standing nominations can be filed at any time until the day before a scheduled general election is called or for a by-election or unscheduled general election until the second day after the election is called. Standing nominations can be submitted through Elections BC Services or submitted manually to the Chief Electoral Officer at Elections BC headquarters by mail or in person.
Ordinary Nominations are when candidate nominations are submitted after an election or by-election is called. A candidate nomination application can be submitted through Elections BC Services or to the District Electoral Officer in the electoral district they wish to run in. District electoral offices will be open when the election is called.
Whether you’re applying early as a standing nomination or as an ordinary nomination after an election is called, the easiest way to submit your application is through Elections BC Services.
For more information about when and how to file a provincial candidate nomination application, read the How to Apply to be a Provincial Candidate guide.
If you have questions or need assistance, contact us at 1-800-661-8683 or at electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca.
Toll-Free: 1-800-661-8683
TTY: 1-888-456-5448
electionsbc@elections.bc.ca
Toll-Free Fax: 1-866-466-0665s
