The race is on.
Five candidates are competing for votes in the November 19 election for a Director of Electoral Area A in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (known as Metro Vancouver).
Do you live on the University Endowment Lands, the UBC campus, or another part of the Electoral Area?
If so, exercise your democratic right to vote in that election.
The Electoral Area is made up of all the areas in the Metro Vancouver region which are not part of a municipality.
Every three years, instead of voting for a mayor and council, Canadians who live in or own property in these areas can elect one person as their representative. That person becomes one of the Directors on the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors. Metro Vancouver delivers region-wide services. In Electoral Area A, the regional district also provides local government services like building permits and emergency planning.
Can you vote?
You are eligible to vote in this election, if you are a resident elector (i.e. you can vote because you live in Electoral Area A) or a non-resident property elector (ie. you can vote because you live elsewhere in BC but you own property in Electoral Area A). You may vote if you:
- are a Canadian citizen
- are 18 years of age or older on general voting day (November 19)
- have lived in British Columbia for at least six months on the day of voting
- are not disqualified by law from voting
- have lived in Electoral Area A for at least 30 days on the day of voting OR have owned real estate in Electoral Area A, registered in your name, for at least 30 days on the day of voting.
Non-resident property electors will be required to provide additional information about ownership. Contact the Metro Vancouver Election Office for more information.
Where and when to vote?
You may prefer the convenience of voting at an advance voting opportunity. At or near UBC, there will be opportunities to cast an advance ballot on:
- Wednesday, November 9, 2011 – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. – at the UBC Student Union Building, 6138 Student Union Boulevard, or at the Dunbar Community Centre, 4747 Dunbar Street, Vancouver
- Saturday, November 12, 2011 – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. – at the Dunbar Community Centre, 4747 Dunbar Street, Vancouver
General voting day is Saturday, November 19, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. In the UBC area, you can cast your ballot at one of two places:
- University Hill Secondary School, 2896 Acadia Road, Vancouver
- UBC Student Union Building, 6138 Student Union Boulevard
You may also be eligible for mail ballot voting. Contact the Metro Vancouver Election Office for more information.
The School Trustee election will also be held in your area at the same time. For university area voters in School District #39, contact the City of Vancouver Election Office. In some cases, School Trustee election will be located in the same voting place as the election of Electoral Area A Director.
More Information
Phone: 604.432.6200
Email: icentre@metrovancouver.org.
Website at www.metrovancouver.org (search “elections”)
Mail: 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, B.C. Canada, V5H 4G8
Follow
The past week I took some time to try and meet with each of the five candidates running for the position of Electoral Area A Director. Sadly I’ve only been able to meet with three candidates, Mischa Makortoff, Scott Andrews, and Maria Harris. I have a meeting with Alexandria Mitchell on the dock for next week. No luck so far with connecting with Vancouver resident Colin Dejarlais.
I’ve been meeting at the Beans Around the World coffee shop in the Old Barn Community Centre in Hawthorn Place within the University Town. It gives us a chance to talk and visit in a place that is arguably the centre of non-student resident activities – at least for those of us not living in the UEL.
[More info on universitytown.blogspot.com