Are you interested in running in the 2026 City of Burnaby General Local Election?
On October 17, Burnaby voters will elect:
- 1 Mayor
- 8 City Councillors
- 7 School Trustees for School District 41
Candidate nomination packages will be available in late summer.
Important dates
The nomination period starts on September 1 at 9 am and ends on September 11 at 4 pm.
| January 1, 2026 | Election period begins |
| May 31 | Expense limits published by Elections BC |
| July 20 | Pre-campaign period begins |
| September 1, 9 am | Nomination period begins |
| September 11, 4 pm | Nomination period ends |
| September 18, 4 pm | Deadline for candidate withdrawl |
| September 19 | Campaign period begins |
| October 17 | Campaign period ends |
| October 21 | Last day for declaration of official results |
| November 1 | First day for inaugural |
| January 15, 2027 | Deadline to file campaign financing disclosure statements |
| February 16, 2027 | Deadline for late filing of campaign financing disclosure statements (with fine) |
Candidate eligibility
To be eligible to run as a candidate, you must meet the following criteria at the time of your nomination:
- 18 years or older on general voting day
- Canadian citizen
- resident of BC for at least six months prior to the date of nomination
- not disqualified by any act or law from voting in British Columbia, or from being nominated for, elected to or holding the office, or be otherwise disqualified by law
Other important information for candidates:
- You don’t need to live in the area to be a candidate.
- If you currently work for the City of Burnaby or Burnaby School District, you must take a leave of absence before being nominated.
- Federal employees must apply to the Public Service Commission for permission to run.
- At least two qualified City of Burnaby electors must nominate you per the Local Government Act.
Elector organizations
Please visit Elections BC to view elector organization endorsement forms.
Financial disclosure
The Local Elections Campaign Financing Act requires candidates to submit their financial disclosure documents to Elections BC for verification and publication. Campaign Financing Disclosure Statements can be viewed online at Elections BC, when available.
For questions about campaign financing or advertising, contact Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683 or [email protected].
Questions and answers
The election period begins on January 1, 2026, and ends on September 18 at midnight. During this period anyone who intends to become a candidate must track and report all campaign expenses incurred during this time. Elections BC manages this process and all financial recording requirements. For further information please go to Elections BC or call 1-800-661-8683.
The pre-campaign period begins on July 20 and ends on September 18, 2026. During this time, third-party election advertising rules come into force. You can find the election advertising rules in the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act.
The deadline for candidates to file campaign financing disclosure statements is January 15, 2027. The late filing deadline is February 16, 2027. There is a penalty for late filing.
Yes. A candidate may appoint one person to act as their official agent. The agent may represent the candidate from the time of appointment until the final determination of the election.
Candidates may also appoint a financial agent to represent them for all campaign financial matters. A candidate’s official agent and financial agent may be the same person. If a financial agent is not appointed, the candidate is automatically deemed to be their own financial agent and responsible for fulfilling all requirements of the Local Election Campaign Financing Act related to their campaign.
Candidates may also appoint scrutineers to observe the conduct of voting and counting. One scrutineer may be appointed to be present per ballot box in each voting location.
Candidates must register representatives ahead of General Voting Day and representatives must bring their registration documents to each voting location they visit.
Elector organizations promote candidates in local elections. They are also called civic political parties. Anyone can form an elector organization, but only elector organizations registered with Elections BC can endorse candidates, receive campaign contributions and incur election expenses.
As of 2025, elector organizations are not required to submit separate candidate endorsement documents. Instead, candidate endorsement will be included with the candidate nomination documents in the nomination package.
For more information on elector organizations, please visit Elections BC.
Have questions?
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 604-294-7088