The City of Vancouver announced Wednesday that the nomination period for mayor, city councillors, park board commissioners and school trustees opens Sept. 1 and closes Sept. 11.

The municipal election is Oct. 17 and there are 27 positions open—one mayor, 10 city councillors, seven park board commissioners and nine school trustees. The term runs from 2026 to 2030.

Candidates can download a nomination package on the city’s website or pick up a printed copy at the city’s election office at 305 West 8th Ave., or at city hall at 453 West 12th Ave.

“To ensure a smooth filing experience, candidates are encouraged to schedule an appointment to submit their nomination documents with the Vancouver election office,” said a news release, noting the phone number is 604-829-2010.

Bookings are now open.

To run for office, candidates must be 18 years of age or older on Oct. 17, a Canadian citizen and have lived in B.C. for at least six months before the date of filing. A prospective candidate cannot be disqualified by law from being nominated, elected or holding office.

Mayoral race

For many municipal politics watchers, Sept. 11 is a key date in the run-up to the vote.

Though at least seven candidates have publicly said they are running for mayor, there is still speculation that one or more may not file papers by the deadline. Mayor Ken Sim of ABC Vancouver says he is seeking re-election.

Vancouver’s three self-described progressive parties—OneCity Vancouver, COPE and the Green Party of Vancouver—have all raised concerns around a potential vote split, since each party has a mayoral candidate.

William Azaroff is a first-time candidate for OneCity, as is Stephanie Allen for COPE while Pete Fry is a longtime city councillor running for mayor. The Greens and OneCity have never run a mayoral candidate in their civic history in Vancouver.

‘Best chance to unite’

In February, Azaroff issued an ultimatum to COPE and the Greens to participate in a “progressive primary” as a method to select one leader from the left side of the political spectrum to take on Sim in the election.

That primary never happened.

“I think a short, democratic process focused on one member, one vote will both give the parties the best chance to unite and give that winning candidate ample time to take on Ken Sim and win in October,” Azaroff said at the time.

Fast-forward to an Aug. 17 news conference, where Azaroff was asked about the three parties reaching a unity agreement. He said that OneCity has “a good negotiating team. I have a lot of faith in them, and I’m letting them handle that part of this process.”

Poll shows Ken Sim at 30 per cent

COPE, meanwhile, has spent money on billboard advertising for Allen—as seen on a billboard on Broadway—while Fry’s campaign canvassed the South False Creek and South Cambie areas over the weekend.

A recent poll released by Research Co. showed Fry tied with Kareem Allam of the Vancouver Liberals at 19 per cent.

Sim was ahead at 30 per cent, while Colleen Hardwick of TEAM for a Livable Vancouver was at 14 per cent. Coun. Rebecca Bligh of Vote Vancouver was at seven per cent and Azaroff at five per cent.

Allen was at four per cent.

A list of candidates who have successfully submitted their nomination packages will be posted on the city’s website after 4 p.m. on Sept. 11.

Chief election officer Jason Twa, who doubles as the City of Vancouver’s city clerk, said in a letter attached to the nomination package that staff will be posting “non-partisan civic education and election awareness content” across its social media channels: Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads and LinkedIn.

“Candidate and political party accounts must not comment on or reply to the city’s election-related social media posts to maintain the non-partisan nature of these communications,” Twa said.

‘Quiet period’

In May, the city’s senior director of communications Chris Freek sent a memo to council outlining the so-called “quiet period” prior to the election. That’s a time, for example, when media interviews with staff are scaled back.

That period began Aug. 14 and ends on election day.

“A quiet period is a defined period before or during an election when public service and operational communications, engagement and related activities are deliberately limited to avoid influencing voters or creating a perception of partisanship,” Freek said.

Common directions are to pause or scale back advertising, public announcements, public engagement or “institutional communications.”

That’s done so elections are conducted “fairly and that governments, candidates, or organizations do not use or are not perceived to use their position or resources to gain an unfair advantage,” he said.

[email protected]

X/@Howellings

BIV’s free newsletters cover daily business, real estate, B.C. politics and more. Sign up here for B.C.’s most important business news delivered directly to your inbox.