The Straight received the following information bulletin from the City of Vancouver on September 7. It is reprinted below in its entirety.

This October, all eligible voters can vote by mail as another convenient way to participate in the 2022 Vancouver Election. Voters may now apply to receive a vote by mail package at vancouver.ca/vote, or if they are registered voters, they can call 3-1-1. All vote by mail packages have free return postage. The last day to request a vote by mail package is on Tuesday, October 11 at 5 pm.

Voters have two options of getting their vote by mail package:

1. By mail: Voters must apply by Thursday, September 29 at 5 pm for the Election Office to mail out the ballot in a timely manner for the voter to mail it back.
2. Pick up: Voters must apply by Tuesday, October 11 at 5 pm. Packages will be ready for pick up at the Vancouver Election Office (305 West 8th Avenue) starting on Tuesday, September 27 at 8:30 am until Friday, October 14 at noon. It will take two business days after the Election Office receives your application for your package to be ready for pick up.

The Election Office will be mailing out vote by mail packages starting on Tuesday, September 27. Voters are responsible for returning their ballot on time, either by mail or by dropping off at the Election Office, Vancouver City Hall, or a designated community centre drop box. Ballots received after 8 pm on Saturday, October 15, will not be counted. For more information on returning the ballot, visit vancouver.ca/vote.

Other ways to vote:
Eligible voters may choose to vote in person instead, either on advance voting days or on Election Day. As in previous elections, Vancouver voters may vote anywhere that is convenient for them.

Advance voting is available from 8 am to 8 pm on

• Saturday, October 1;
• Wednesday, October 5;
• Saturday, October 8;
• Tuesday, October 11; and
• Thursday, October 13.

For a full list of advance voting places, visit vancouver.ca/vote.

Election Day is on Saturday, October 15. Voting places are open between 8 am and 8 pm. For a full list of Election Day voting places, visit vancouver.ca/vote.

Who are the candidates:
On Saturday, October 15, 2022, Vancouver voters will vote for:

• One Mayor
• 10 City Councillors
• Seven Park Board Commissioners
• Nine School Trustees

Candidates who have currently filed for nomination are now available at vancouver.ca/vote, and may withdraw their candidacy until Friday, September 16 at 4 pm. The Election Office will be drawing the order of candidates’ names on the ballot on Friday, September 16 at 5 pm. Voters can check who the candidates are and their profiles on Thursday, September 22 at vancouver.ca/vote.

Also on the ballot
Voters will be asked if they support the City borrowing money for three areas of major capital projects, as outlined in the 2023-2026 Capital Plan. Find out more information at vancouver.ca/capital-plan.

How to prepare to vote
Voters may attend events including all-candidates meetings, and other civics education events listed on vancouver.ca/vote.

Voters may also use the Plan Your Vote tool to make a voting plan, available at vancouver.ca/plan-your-vote starting on Thursday, September 22. The tool will help voters pick candidates, remember answers to the Capital Plan borrowing questions, and choose a convenient day and place to vote.

The Voters’ Guide will have voting information available in Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Punjabi, Vietnamese, Spanish,  Korean, Farsi, French, and Japanese. The Guides will have candidate profiles (in English only) and will be available at community centres and libraries starting on Thursday, September 29. 

For more information, voters can go to vancouver.ca/vote or call 3-1-1. Most election information have been translated to the languages above on vancouver.ca/vote, and is also available in braille and American Sign Language.