Elections and Voting | Peace River Regional District

It's an election year!

The next local government election is on October 17, 2026. This page will be updated as deadlines, candidates and polling stations are confirmed. Please check back regularly for details on all voting opportunities available to you.

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The Peace River Regional District conducts general local elections every four years to elect directors for each electoral area. We are responsible for ensuring fair, impartial and compliant elections.

In the PRRD, voters in four electoral areas (B, C, D and E) choose Electoral Area Directors to represent them on the PRRD Board. Members in seven member municipalities will be electing Mayors and Councillors who will also provide representation on the PRRD Board of Directors.

Candidates

Electoral Map and Voting Stations

Voting Opportunities

Chief Election Officer

The PRRD appoints a Chief Election Officer, who oversees all local elections administration activities including:

Receiving nomination documents and declaring candidates
Administering voting opportunities
Counting ballots
Declaring election results
Working with Elections BC to monitor compliance with election advertising regulations

Voting for New Services

Regional districts administer voting opportunities for new services. They are responsible for establishing new services and determining how they will be funded through taxation. When a new service is proposed, the regional district must follow a specific process.

Service Establishment

The regional district creates a bylaw that outlines the purpose of the service, the service area boundary and the maximum amount that may be collection/requisitioned through taxation for that service.

Approval Process

The service establishment bylaw must receive approval from:

The province's Inspector of Municipalities
Member municipalities and electoral areas that intend to participate in the proposed service

Elector Approval

Generally, an elector approval process is required from residents in the service area boundary. This may involve public consultation to inform residents about the proposed service before seeking their approval through:

A referendum
An alternative approval process

Defining the Service Area (Benfiting) Boundary

The regional district determines which areas will benefit from and pay for the proposed new service. This can range from region-wide services to very localized services.

Voting on Implementation

If the referendum passes (more than 50 percent voting in favour of the proposed new service) the regional district board votes on the implementation of the new service. Each member of the board gets one vote to approve the bylaw that establishes the service.

Once the bylaw is approved, the taxation and the new service will be implemented.

Assent Voting

Assent voting, commonly referred to as a referendum, is a way for a regional district to ask voters if they agree with a proposed new service. As a voter, you get to decide whether the proposed new service should move forward or not. If more than half (50 percent) of the votes are in favor, the proposed service is considered approved. This type of voting works like regular local elections and can happen at the same time as a general election, a by-election or as a separate vote on its own.

Alternative Approval Process

The Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is a way for local governments to check if enough people oppose starting a new service without providing a voting opportunity. If 10 percent or more of eligible voters sign and submit forms saying they are against the proposed service until a full voting opportunity is held, the local government must then get voter approval through assent voting to proceed. This means the issue is seen as significant, and the local government can hold a vote within 80 days, pause and consider other options or abandon the proposed service.