Changes to the B.C. Local Government Act mean all eligible electors in the City of Prince George will be able to vote in the local government election in October using a mail-in ballot.
Previously, mail-in ballots were restricted to people with physical disabilities, illness or injury that would prevent them from being able to vote in person, or people who would be absent from the city on general voting day and all advance voting days, according to a report to city council on Monday. An amended version of the city’s election bylaw, which brings the city in line with the provincial legislation, received council's initial approval.
“With the removal of this restriction, the proposed bylaw permits any eligible elector of the City of Prince George to vote by mail ballot in accordance with the application procedures and timelines determined by the Chief Election Officer,” city manager Walter Babicz wrote in his report to council. “The updated bylaw will be a key resource to guide local government election related processes and activities in 2022 and beyond.”
City council also supported amendments to change the rules around nominating candidates in the municipal election and changes to the city’s rules for political signs.
“As mentioned, two key changes within the proposed bylaw pertaining to candidate nominations are included as a means to formalize and provide more structure to the candidate nomination process,” Babicz wrote. “They are the requirement of a $100 refundable nomination deposit and an increase in the number of qualified nominators required to nominate an individual who is seeking election from two (2) eligible electors of the City of Prince George to ten (10).”
Under B.C. legislation, municipalities with 5,000 or more residents can require two, 10 or 25 electors to nominate each candidate running for office, he wrote. Electors can include residents, or property owners who have the right to vote even if not resident in the city.
The city compared its nomination process to those used in Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Delta, Kelowna, Kamloops, Langley, Naniamo, North Vancouver, Saanich and Victoria.
“The aforementioned changes are in line with the election procedures of six of the peer municipalities of which four require a refundable nomination deposit of $100 and five require greater than two (2) nominators with two municipalities requiring twenty-five (25) nominators and three municipalities requiring ten (10) nominators,” Babicz wrote. “The proposed changes are reflective of the importance of the nomination process and the intentions of an individual to be declared a candidate for the local government election.”
Under the ammendments, the city will be able to impose a $200 fine for a variety of infractions involving political signs, including placing signs on private property without permission, using oversized signs and placing signs before or after the designated time period.
“A review of peer municipalities indicates that most have fines set between $50 and $200 per offence related to election and political signs,” Babicz wrote. “Administration recommends the City of Prince George set a fine amount to not only provide incentive for individuals running for a political office or individuals intending to affect the vote of any person in an election or public referendum, to familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations regarding the use of election and political signs but also as a deterrent for willfully acting in contravention to the provisions within the Election and Political Signs Bylaw.”
In 2018, the city received complaints that signs at the intersection of Foothills Boulevard and Austin Road and Highway 97 and Austin Road East impaired driver visibility. Babicz recommended moving the permissible sign area on Foothills Boulvard 200 metres southeast of the previous location, and cutting the size of the permissible sign area at Austin Road East and Highway 97 in half.
City council approved the first three readings of the amendments on Monday and, if they receive final approval, would be in effect for the next general local election on Oct. 15.
