First-time Voters
Your Voting Plan
Voting Day Information and tips on the voting process will be available soon.
List of common election-related words
Below are a list of words that may be helpful to know if you're voting for the first time in the Richmond Election.
- Advance voting
- Ballot
- By-Election
- Candidate
- Chief Election Officer
- Council
- Elector Organization
- Election
- General Local and School Election
- General Voting Day
- Mail ballot
- Mobile poll
- Non-partisan
- Nomination
- Scrutineer
- Unofficial results
- Voter
- Voter information card
- Voter turnout
- Voters List
- Voting Place
Advance voting
Voters who want to vote before General Voting Day (Saturday, October 15, 2022) may vote at any of the advance voting opportunities.
Ballot
A ballot is a piece of paper provided at the time of voting that lists the names of the candidates, their elector organizations/political parties, and a spot where voters can indicate their preferred candidate(s). In the 2022 Richmond Election, voters will fill in the oval next to the candidate of their choice.
By-Election
A by-election is an election held to fill a vacancy arising during a government's term of office. The 2021 By-Election elected one Councillor as a result of a vacancy in November 2020. The new Councillor elected in 2021 served along with the other members of Richmond City Council until the next scheduled General Local and School Election on October 15, 2022.
The candidate with the most number of votes by the close of voting, was elected.
Candidate
A candidate is a person who seeks to be elected to public office. In the 2022 Election, there are candidates for Mayor, Councillor and Trustee.
Chief Election Officer
The Chief Election Officer is the independent officer who works for the City of Richmond and is in charge of overseeing and administering the Election. The Chief Election Officer for the 2022 Election is Claudia Jesson.
Council
The members of Council include the Mayor and Councillors. In Richmond, there is one Mayor, and eight Councillors.
Elector Organization
An Elector Organization promotes a candidate or group of candidates during a local election. Elector organizations are also known as civic political parties.
Election
An election is a way for voters to choose individuals who will make decisions and govern on their behalf at the local government level, and for the school district.
General Local and School Election
The General Local and School Election refers to the municipal election of Mayor and Councillors, and school election of School Trustees. For the City of Richmond General Local and School Election, electors vote for one Mayor, eight Councillors, and seven School Trustees.
General Voting Day
General Voting Day is the day when all eligible voters in Richmond can vote. General Voting Day is on Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and you can vote at any voting location. General Voting Day is also known as Election Day.
Mail ballot
For the 2022 Election, all eligible voters will be able to request to vote by mail ballot.
Mobile poll
A Mobile poll is a voting option allowing residents of care homes to vote. The residents in these care homes must meet all voting eligibility requirements.
Non-partisan
Non-partisan means not supported or controlled by an elector organization or political party, special interest group, or others. The Richmond Elections Office is a non-partisan office that administers the Election and By-Election.
Nomination
A nomination refers to the process of selecting or putting forward a candidate for election to a public office. The nomination period for the 2022 Richmond Election is from August 30 to September 9, 2022.
Scrutineer
Scrutineers are candidate representatives who are appointed to observe voting procedures and the ballot-counting process.
Unofficial results
Unofficial results are preliminary results based on the votes counted on General Voting Day after 8:00 p.m. Results are considered unofficial until all votes are counted, and may take several days. The Chief Election Officer must declare the official results by October 19, 2022.
Voter
A voter is a person who meets all voting eligibility requirements to vote. In the 2022 Richmond Election, a voter is considered someone who:
- Is a Canadian citizen;
- is, or will be, at least 18 years old on General Voting Day (Saturday, October 15, 2022);
- is a Richmond resident;
- has lived in BC for at least six months prior to registration (April 14, 2022 is the last day to meet residency requirement if registering on General Voting Day); and
- are not disqualified from voting by law.
Voters may also be non-resident property electors. Voters are also known as electors.
Voter information card
If you are registered to vote as per the Provincial Voters List, you may expect to receive a voter card in the mail in late September. A voter card includes information such as a voter's designated voting place and advance voting opportunities.
You do not need a voter information card to vote.
Voter turnout
Voter turnout refers to the number of registered voters who voted, out of the total number of registered voters. In 2018, Richmond had 48,412 registered voters who voted out of the 131,339 registered voters. The voter turnout was 36.86%.
Voters List
The City of Richmond uses the Province of BC’s Voters List for Elections. Elections BC maintains and updates the Voters List between elections. The Voters List includes a voters’ name and residential address for those who are registered voters.
Voting place
A voting place is where you will be voting. During advance voting days, all voters may vote at any of the advance voting places. For the 2022 Richmond Election on General Voting Day (October 15, 2022), all voters must vote at their designated voting places. More information about general voting day voting places will be published online soon.
Got other questions? Check our Frequently Asked Questions or Contact Us
